“I texted at eleven at night from the parking lot of the station. She wrote back first thing and had a plan before my first coffee.”
Devon A.
Criminal defense, Baltimore
Charged with something? Start here.
Tell me the charge and your court date. I read every intake myself and answer the same day, by phone or text, with what happens next and what it will cost.
The charges
Three kinds of case, taken from start to finish
I keep to the cases I handle every week, so I know the courtrooms, the prosecutors and the paperwork that goes with each one.
- 01
DUI and DWI
A first or second arrest, a breath test you took or refused, and the license hearing that runs on its own short clock.
DUI defense - 02
Drug charges
Possession, possession with intent, paraphernalia. Most of these cases turn on how the police found what they found.
Drug charge defense - 03
Expungement
An old conviction, a dismissal or a not-guilty that still shows on a background check. Many can be cleared with a petition.
Clearing a record
Fees
The fee, set before you sign
One flat fee for the lawyer's work on the charge, quoted on the first call once I know the charge and the court.
One fee for the whole charge
It covers every court date through trial or a plea, so a postponement never adds to the bill.
What sets the number
The charge itself, whether there's a stop or a search to challenge, and how likely a trial is. A felony or a jury trial is quoted on its own.
Paid over time
Split the fee into monthly payments if you need to. Court costs, filing fees, transcripts and any expert are separate, and you'd pay them whoever represents you.
From clients
Texts from the other side of a case
Lines clients left after their cases closed. Every case is different, and none of these predicts how yours will end.
“She told me the fee on the first call and it never moved. I paid it over four months.”
Rosalind P.“My old charge from 2014 kept costing me jobs. It's gone from the search now.”
Carlos M.
Questions
Before you call, people usually ask
I was just arrested. What should I do tonight?
Don't talk about the case with anyone but a lawyer, including on a jail phone or by text. Write down the date of the arrest and the court date on your paperwork, then call or text the office.
Do I need a lawyer for a first offense?
Not by law, but a first offense is where the outcome matters most. A conviction can follow you to jobs, housing and your license; a dismissal or probation that ends without a conviction often doesn't.
What does the first call cost?
Nothing. We talk about the charge, the court date and the fee. If you hire me, the flat fee is set in writing before any work starts.
Can I pay in parts?
Yes. Most clients split the fee into monthly payments, set in the engagement letter. Court costs are paid to the court, separately.
Will I talk to you or to an assistant?
To me. It's a one-lawyer office. When you call or text, it's my phone, and when something changes in your case, you hear it from me.
Tamsin Wojcik
Call before the court date, not the morning of it
The earlier I see a case, the more of it I can still change. Call or text and you'll hear back the same day.
