Back in July, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling overturning a removal order in the case of a Salvadoran woman and her minor son. The ruling in favor of the asylum applicant represents just the latest in a series of appellate and Supreme Court rulings related to…
Maryland Criminal & Immigration Lawyer Blog
A Maryland Man Accused of Murder is Granted a New Trial… for the Second Time
When you’re accused of a crime, achieving a successful result may involve many procedural steps. These could include things like pretrial motions (such as a motion to suppress illegally obtained evidence,) in-trial objections (such as opposing the admission of inadmissible hearsay evidence,) post-trial motions, and appeals. To ensure that your…
The U.S. Department of Labor Rolls Out Important Changes to the PERM Certification Process for Foreign Workers
Many foreign workers who work legally in the United States do so with a non-permanent visa such as an H-1B. Some foreign workers, however, work in this country on a permanent basis, holding what’s called a PERM visa. The federal government makes roughly 140,000 of these visas available each year.…
How Failing to Select the Right Legal Counsel Can Have a Catastrophic Impact on Your Asylum Application… and You
If you need to seek asylum in the United States, you may understand that you need to complete the legal process of applying for asylum and that a skilled Maryland immigration attorney can help you achieve a successful result on that application. What you may not know, however, is that…
How a Search of Your Social Media Accounts Can Become a Fourth Amendment Violation
Some things that are ubiquitous parts of our lives today probably would’ve seemed unimaginable 40, 30, or even 20 years ago. That includes developments like smartphones and social media. As technology evolves, so do the methods law enforcement officers use to pursue criminal suspects. Just as with anything else, though,…
What the ‘Statement Against Interest’ Hearsay Exception Does — and Doesn’t — Allow in a Maryland Criminal Trial
The rules of evidence say that a party may not use hearsay to prove their case (or disprove the other side’s case,) unless that hearsay evidence falls within one or more of several exceptions laid out in the rules. Parsing these exceptions — and keeping potentially harmful evidence that falls…
A Federal Appeals Court Grants Asylum to a Pakistani Businessman Who Aided the U.S.-Led Coalition During the Afghan War
The United States military action in Afghanistan began in the weeks following the September 11th attacks and spanned for nearly two decades. During that time, many citizens of that country (and surrounding states like Pakistan) aided coalition forces’ efforts. When U.S. forces left and the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan…
The Maryland Supreme Court Just Put Some Important New Limits on Ballistics Expert Evidence in Criminal Trials
Earlier this week, Maryland’s highest court issued a new opinion that made national headlines. The decision imposes necessary new standards on how prosecutors in this state can (and cannot) use ballistics experts. This ruling potentially represents a major aid for people in Maryland who stand accused of crimes involving guns.…
The Immigration Waiver Process and the Proper Timing of a Waiver Application
One of the greatest risks undocumented immigrants face is potential deportation or being barred from re-entry. For some of those people, help may be available in the form of an I-601a waiver, a/k/a a provisional waiver. To be eligible, you must be a relative of a U.S. citizen or a…
Asylum Applications by Immigrants Facing Persecution at Home Because They’re Perceived to Be Gay or Lesbian
LGBTQ+ people face many serious challenges. LGBTQ+ people in countries outside the U.S. often face especially dire risks, as being “outed” (or even just failing to conform to traditional gender norms) may place a person at risk of beatings, whippings, or even violent death. For those folks — both those…