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Brown Law Blog

Justin Brown with Allen Finke the day he was freed.

The Impossible is Possible: Allen Finke is Free After 44 Years

When we first met Allen Finke, some four years ago, it seemed like all hope had been lost. Allen had been in prison more than 40 years for a crime he did not commit. His health was failing. He had tried almost every kind of legal remedy, and nothing had worked. Brown Law agreed to take his case, even though the chances of winning seemed like one in a million. The case was just too ...

Brown Law: Witness Intimidation Bill Won’t Help

With the rash of violence currently plaguing Baltimore, Governor Hogan and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby are advocating for a bill that will address what they see as one of the major issues facing the city: witness intimidation. We think this bill is a bad idea. During his State ...

Brown Law Files Post-Conviction for Innocent Man in Salisbury Murder

Brown Law today filed a post-conviction petition on behalf of Derrien Douglas, who for more than a decade has maintained his innocence. Douglas was convicted of murder in Wicomico County, Maryland, and is currently serving a life sentence at North Branch Correctional Institution. His conviction was deeply flawed, and he ...

NOT GUILTY: Brown Law Wins Federal Jury Trial

Jury trials are very rare in the federal system. Acquittals are even rarer. Despite the overwhelming odds, C. Justin Brown and Lylian Romero won a hard fought “not guilty” verdict last week, vindicating their client in United States v. Johnson, CCB-19-22. Johnson was charged with federal witness retaliation, and prosecutors ...

Firm Seeks Justice for Man Who Was Shot by Police and Left to Die

In the afternoon of April 15, 2008, Charles Atkins, a 26-year-old black man, was walking down a Baltimore street, about to meet a friend. Two plain-clothes police officers happened to be in the neighborhood, and they spotted Atkins walking by. They became interested in him because, they claimed, Atkins was ...

Tainted Baltimore Cops – Know Your Rights

Prosecutors in Baltimore City have started to ask the courts to throw out old convictions that relied on dirty police officers. Starting on October 1, 2019, prosecutors began undoing 790 convictions that they believe are no longer valid. If the courts agree to vacate these convictions, judges will set aside ...