It is highly probable that the six officers charged in Freddie Gray’s death will attempt to have the case removed from Baltimore City. A change of venue would be based on the obvious: with a unprecedented amount of public attention following Gray’s death, it will be almost impossible to find unbiased jurors in Baltimore City….

Amidst the turmoil following Freddy Gray’s death, a significant change in law is about to take place that will make it easier for victims of police brutality to recover compensation. The Maryland Legislature recently passed a bill that will increase to $400,000 from $200,000 the cap on damages that can be collected against negligent police…

Remember when it looked like the Fourth Circuit was on the brink of a significant change? When, after Obama got his nominees on the court, it would go from being super conservative to progressive? Well, that day has not yet come. The court today issued a major opinion that is heartbreaking for a class of…

Click here to read Syed’s Opening Brief with the Court of Special Appeals, filed 3/23/15: APPELLANT’S BRIEF…

The Firm won a major victory in a state post-conviction proceeding early this year. The client, who we will call CM, was convicted of murder about 10 years ago, and sentenced to life with all but 50 years suspended. The facts were cloudy at best, and CM maintained his innocence. Because it is extremely difficult…

The Firm today filed a supplement to its appeal in the Adnan Syed case today. The full filing can be found here: Syed Supplement FINAL….

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals this month issued a disappointing en banc opinion in U.S. v. Whiteside. At issue was whether Whiteside could obtain relief from a sentence in which he had been wrongly classified as a career offender. The panel held that he could not get relief because his petition was filed too late. The…

The ACLU has filed a amicus brief in a case being handled by the Law Office of C. Justin Brown. The case, United States v. Harrison, presents a cutting-edge legal issue: whether Baltimore City Police violated the defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights when it used a Stingray device to track his phone. (Click HERE to read…

The most popular podcast ever (at least so we think) is about a client currently represented by the Firm. The Firm represents Adnan Syed, who was convicted in 2000 of the murder of Hae Min Lee. Our representation extends to his post-conviction petition, which was denied, and the appeal of that denial, which is currently…

The Firm recently won an extraordinary victory in a Motion for Modification in Prince George’s County. Our client was one of the youngest individuals ever convicted of murder in the State of Maryland — he was only 14 years old. When he was sentenced, almost 15 years ago, the Judge imposed a term of “life suspend…

We have received extensive media coverage for our efforts to recover $122k for one of our clients in a federal civil forfeiture case. Here are links to some of the recent articles: Baltimore City Paper, “Frisky Business Above the Law, “Did an AUSA Knowingly Produce a Forged Document Just to Get a Forfeiture Judgment?” Baltimore…

In an extraordinary decision with sweeping consequences to federal drug sentencing, the United States Sentencing Commission has voted unanimously to make the two-point drug reduction for federal prisoners fully retroactive. According to the Commission, the amendment will have an instruction that prohibits any person from getting released until Nov 1, 2015. It is estimated that…

“We owe C. Justin Brown such a debt of gratitude and there is nothing I can write in this review that will do justice to how my family and I feel about him and the job he did in representing my brother in a recent criminal defense case. Last year, my brother was arrested for…

A recent Fourth Circuit opinion gives some needed relief for a limited class of federal inmates. Whiteside v. United States opens the door for convicted defendants to bring post-conviction claims, under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, based on their erroneous classification as career offenders. This is likely to have the most impact on individuals who were…

Sometimes as a defense attorney we need to do the police’s job for them. That is exactly what happened in a case in which one of our clients was accused of breaking into a parked car in front of his gym. By many standards this was not a huge case, but for an accountant with…

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baltimore (and other offices around the county) has announced a new policy, effective March 13, in which certain drug offenders will receive a 2-level downward departure on the drug quantity chart. This is fantastic news and it aligns with imminent changes to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Statistically, this amounts to…

It is a sad state of affairs when Debo Adegbile cannot be confirmed to head the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Senate last week rejected his appointment – after President Obama nominated him. What is sad is the reason why he was not approved, despite his stellar credentials. He was not approved because, when…

A new law that would reduce drug sentences passed a major Senate hurdle this week with bipartisan support. It still has a long way to go before it will become law, but it is off to a good start. The Smarter Sentencing Act, which passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, would take some of the sting…

The Law Office of C. Justin Brown won a $50,000 jury verdict in Baltimore City for a 13-year-old boy who alleged that he was beaten by police, falsely arrested and then illegally detained. The Jury found that Baltimore City Police Officer Dale Mattingly, Jr., falsely arrested, falsely imprisoned, and violated the constitutional rights of the…

The Federal Sentencing Commission has recommended a change to the Sentencing Guidelines that could shorten drug sentences by an average of 11 months. This proposal is yet another indication that lawmakers and policymakers are starting to realize that federal drug penalties are way too long and  need to be reigned in. The Commission’s recommendation is…