Constitutional Law

Johanna Kelley, founder of J Kelley Law Group, obtained her law degree in Colombia in 2001, where she practiced Labor, Constitutional, Administrative, Human Rights, International Law and International Business Law. She advised private companies, local and international human rights organizations, governmental agencies, the Colombian Army and grassroots community organizations, with a broad portfolio that included innovative initiatives and the improvement of Colombia’s image abroad. She prepared and accompanied cases of Colombian citizens before the Organization of American States (OAS). After immigrating to the United States, she found that the policy and Immigration Law of this country were a perfect fit for her professional development project and after graduating with Master’s degrees in Law (Duke University) and International Development Policy (Sanford School of Public Policy), she founded in 2013 a non-profit organization aimed at protecting and promoting immigrant rights and social justice. In July 2015, she left the nonprofit sector to serve in government. She began working for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as a supervisor, a wonderful experience professionally and personally, which allowed her to participate in ensuring the integrity of the US immigration system, provide immigration benefits and support the country’s Homeland Security. In November 2017, Johanna Kelley said goodbye to USCIS to kick off the biggest of her work projects: building her own law firm. The founder of our firm believes in legal development and empowerment, therefore, she has been involved in public discussions at mass events and through the media. She hosted the television program ‘Batalla Política’ for the international news channel NTN24 and is a frequent analyst on radio stations and Hispanic channels such as Telemundo, Caracol Televisión, Univisión and RCN News. Mrs. Kelley leads a team committed to the cases of clients and investors, and we are grateful every day for the opportunity to serve our community with professionalism, ethics, and positive results generated through teamwork.

Baltimore Criminal Defense Law Firm If you face criminal charges, an experienced and respected defense lawyer can help protect your rights, evaluate possible defenses, negotiate preferential plea bargains and use every facet of the law in your defense. At the Law Offices of Charles L. Waechter, Attorney at Law, I have more than 30 years of experience defending people accused of all types of criminal charges, ranging from DWI and DUI to sex offenses and murder. I'm known as an aggressive and hard-hitting defense lawyer who will fight hard to keep your record as clean as possible and to minimize the effect of an arrest on your life. With offices in Baltimore, Annapolis, Ocean City and Bel Air, I offer four convenient locations for people who are charged with crimes in Maryland. No matter what kind of charges you face, I offer free initial consultation by phone or in one of my offices. If you are incarcerated, I can also meet with you in jail. A Serious Lawyer for Serious Charges I have the experience and knowledge to defend you against the most serious criminal charges such as Federal and State internet child pornography, sex offenses, DUI and DWI, drug offenses, solicitation and prostitution, assault and battery, and general traffic tickets, which can have a devastating effect on your life. I will review the documents charging you with a crime, investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine if any evidence should be suppressed. For example, if the police violated your Fourth Amendment constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure, I will seek to have the charges dismissed. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. I represented a Defendant charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Harford County, Maryland. The allegations involved sexual contact by a grandfather on his grand-daughter. After four days of trial in the Circuit Court for Harford County, the Defendant was found not guilty on the sexual abuse charges. I also represented a Defendant in Baltimore County this year, who was charged with distribution of child pornography, and the Court agreed with me that probation was the appropriate sentence and not active incarceration, which was sought by the State's Attorney. How did you build a successful practice? I built a successful criminal defense practice based upon hard work and surrounding myself with an extremely competent staff, including lawyers and paralegals. What should clients look for in a lawyer? I have always suggested that clients should look for a well experienced criminal defense lawyer who is competent and compassionate. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? It is absolutely important that a lawyer be completely familiar with the prosecutor assigned to his or her case and, more importantly, to know how and individual judge will rule on a particular Defendant's case. Building relationships with both prosecutors and judges certainly gives more credibility to the lawyer which will ultimately benefit his or her client. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? During a free phone consultation, I generally review the client's charges which I am able to obtain from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website. I review those charges with the client and ask that the client provide me with a copy of the original statement of charges. I also ask that the potential client provide me with his prior criminal history or serious traffic history. Thereafter, I generally request that the client make an appointment to meet with me in person to discuss the matter in detail. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? During a free phone consultation, I generally review the client's charges which I am able to obtain from the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website. I review those charges with the client and ask that the client provide me with a copy of the original statement of charges. I also ask that the potential client provide me with his prior criminal history or serious traffic history. Thereafter, I generally request that the client make an appointment to meet with me in person to discuss the matter in detail. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I have been a criminal defense attorney for over 30 years, handling cases in every jurisdiction in Maryland, as well as in the Federal District Court. Over those 30 years, I have built tremendous professional relationships with prosecutors and judges in all jurisdictions. While I represent clients charged in all criminal matters, my main focus is representing clients charged in sex offense matters and internet child pornography matters. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? The most rewarding aspect of my job is the ability to help those individuals charged with any criminal offense. It is absolutely fulfilling when any client shows their appreciation for the hard work and interest that I take in each of their cases. What are your other interests in addition to law? In addition to practicing law, I enjoy skiing, exercising at the gym, and spending as much time as possible with my wife and children. Are you involved in your community? I am have been a Mason and active member of S.Gompers-B Franklin Lodge No. 45 and also a member of the Scottish Rite and Boomie Temple for over ten years. I have been an active member with the Elks Lodge-Towson for over fifteen. All of these organizations are charity organizations assisting members of our community.

Marv Robon graduated in less than four years from Bowling Green State University with a business degree and went right into law school with a partial scholarship. His class at the University of Toledo Law School had four members, including himself, in the top twelve of the Ohio State Bar Exam. During his earlier years, Mr. Robon did a substantial amount of litigation and tried a number of jury cases to conclusion. He then became more interested in real estate law and business matters and did everything from limited partnership syndications to industrial development revenue bonds. However, the challenge of trial work was missing; so by the mid-1980's, he decided to do both litigation and business matters. He has handled a number of high-profile cases, including the sale of the Commodore Island Condominiums where Owens-Corning’s World Headquarters is located today; a substantial wrongful death electrocution case that was successfully concluded during the jury trial; a very successful result in a medical helicopter crash that severely injured the nurse and went all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals, an insurance embezzlement case where more than $2,300,000.00 was collected. He negotiated for the sale of a business to the City of Toledo who wanted to eminent domain the property for the new Jeep plant location in Toledo involving several million dollars. He also obtained an award for a bank of almost $3,000,000.00 by the U.S. Court of Appeals against the United States Government. In the past several years he’s tried twenty one jury trials with a 18-3 record. One of the jury cases set a record for a verdict of over $2,500,000.00 in the small town of Wauseon, Ohio. He now is a member of the Multi-million Dollar Club of plaintiff attorneys. Recently, he was named an Ohio Super Lawyer by the Cincinnati Magazine. The Toledo City Paper named him the Best Attorney in Toledo for 2011 & 2012. Martindale-Hubbell named him a preeminent attorney for 2016. He just was named in the Top 10% of attorneys in the United States. This past year he handled a case for a rancher in Cheyenne, Wyoming, against the US Government for causing a forest fire. The result was one of a very few times the government LOST because they have immunity. The result was in 7 figures! He also had a $1,000,000.00 jury verdict in Wood County against Toledo Edison. In 2007 the Ohio Legislature modified the eminent domain law to provide that if the jury verdict is more than 1.5 times the state’s offer, attorney fees can be awarded. Marvin received an award of attorney fees in excess of $250,000.00 recently as a result of that statute and it is believed that that is the first award in Ohio under that new statute. Since then he has collected more than $400,000.00 in legal fees from government or quick-government entities. In addition to his business practice, he currently is working on matters involving financial problems for commercial real estate owners, eminent domain matters against the Ohio Department of Transportation as well as other governmental entities and pipeline companies, and several shareholder and construction disputes, bad faith insurance claims along with some substantial injury and wrongful death cases. In 2014, he successfully argued before the Ohio Supreme Court on an issue of a constitutional taking of property by a governmental entity. He is currently handling injunctions, appeals, partnership disputes, eminent domain pipeline cases and shareholder disputes. Mr. Robon is a member of the Ohio State, American, and Toledo Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He attended the 1990 Moscow Conference on Trade and Economic Law in the Soviet Union which involved teaching Russian attorneys about America’s property system, the 1988 Trade and Economic Law Conference in Japan, and the China Conference in 1987. Marv’s motto is “If it can’t be done, give us a try.” He works out regularly, jogs, takes pilates, is an avid golfer and enjoys both tennis and gardening. Marv and his wife Nancy have three grown children, all with advanced degrees.

Ocean City Criminal Defense Law Firm If you face criminal charges, an experienced and respected defense lawyer can help protect your rights, evaluate possible defenses, negotiate preferential plea bargains and use every facet of the law in your defense. At the Law Offices of Charles L. Waechter, Attorney at Law, I have more than 30 years of experience defending people accused of all types of criminal charges, ranging from DWI and DUI to sex offenses and murder. I'm known as an aggressive and hard-hitting defense lawyer who will fight hard to keep your record as clean as possible and to minimize the effect of an arrest on your life. With offices in Baltimore, Annapolis, Ocean City and Bel Air, I offer four convenient locations for people who are charged with crimes in Maryland. No matter what kind of charges you face, I offer free initial consultation by phone or in one of my offices. If you are incarcerated, I can also meet with you in jail. A Serious Lawyer for Serious Charges I have the experience and knowledge to defend you against the most serious criminal charges such as Federal and State internet child pornography, sex offenses, DUI and DWI, drug offenses, solicitation and prostitution, assault and battery, and general traffic tickets, which can have a devastating effect on your life. I will review the documents charging you with a crime, investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine if any evidence should be suppressed. For example, if the police violated your Fourth Amendment constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure, I will seek to have the charges dismissed.

Frederick C. Thomas (“Fred”) has lived in Arizona for nearly thirty consecutive years, except for six years living in California. Fred went to Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Arizona. He graduated from Arizona State University where he obtained a degree in political science. During college, Fred interned with former US Senator Jon Kyl. After graduating college, he worked for American Family Insurance for three years. Realizing that life as an insurance adjuster was not for him, Fred attended the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Fred is licensed in Arizona, California, and Colorado. Fred is also licensed in each California Federal District Court, the Arizona Federal District Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Fred has been practicing law since December 2003. Fred has practiced personal injury law since first becoming a lawyer. He has also represented individuals in habeas corpus matters ensuring that every individual received the Constitutional protections we all deserve. Fred’s knowledge and experience as a former insurance adjuster gives him an invaluable asset to his injury clients, he knows how the adjuster thinks, so he can be one step ahead of them. Fred also represents licensed contractors in various scenarios, whether defending their rights before the Registrar of Contractors or enforcing a mechanic’s lien and assisting in collecting unpaid contracts. Currently, Fred is a member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, a former President of the North Phoenix Bar Association, and a member of BNI Arizona, and was on the State Bar of Arizona’s Ethics Committee. Additionally, Fred was an adjunct professor, he taught Insurance Law, Remedies and Commercial Law. Fred spends his downtime mountain biking, playing golf, snowboarding, and hockey, and is a Sun Devil football season ticket holder, baseball, basketball, and hockey.

Bel Air Criminal Defense Law Firm If you face criminal charges, an experienced and respected defense lawyer can help protect your rights, evaluate possible defenses, negotiate preferential plea bargains and use every facet of the law in your defense. At the Law Offices of Charles L. Waechter, Attorney at Law, I have more than 30 years of experience defending people accused of all types of criminal charges, ranging from DWI and DUI to sex offenses and murder. I'm known as an aggressive and hard-hitting defense lawyer who will fight hard to keep your record as clean as possible and to minimize the effect of an arrest on your life. With offices in Baltimore, Annapolis, Ocean City and Bel Air, I offer four convenient locations for people who are charged with crimes in Maryland. No matter what kind of charges you face, I offer free initial consultation by phone or in one of my offices. If you are incarcerated, I can also meet with you in jail. A Serious Lawyer for Serious Charges I have the experience and knowledge to defend you against the most serious criminal charges such as Federal and State internet child pornography, sex offenses, DUI and DWI, drug offenses, solicitation and prostitution, assault and battery, and general traffic tickets, which can have a devastating effect on your life. I will review the documents charging you with a crime, investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine if any evidence should be suppressed. For example, if the police violated your Fourth Amendment constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure, I will seek to have the charges dismissed.

Annapolis Criminal Defense Law Firm If you face criminal charges, an experienced and respected defense lawyer can help protect your rights, evaluate possible defenses, negotiate preferential plea bargains and use every facet of the law in your defense. At the Law Offices of Charles L. Waechter, Attorney at Law, I have more than 30 years of experience defending people accused of all types of criminal charges, ranging from DWI and DUI to sex offenses and murder. I'm known as an aggressive and hard-hitting defense lawyer who will fight hard to keep your record as clean as possible and to minimize the effect of an arrest on your life. With offices in Baltimore, Annapolis, Ocean City and Bel Air, I offer four convenient locations for people who are charged with crimes in Maryland. No matter what kind of charges you face, I offer free initial consultation by phone or in one of my offices. If you are incarcerated, I can also meet with you in jail. A Serious Lawyer for Serious Charges I have the experience and knowledge to defend you against the most serious criminal charges such as Federal and State internet child pornography, sex offenses, DUI and DWI, drug offenses, solicitation and prostitution, assault and battery, and general traffic tickets, which can have a devastating effect on your life. I will review the documents charging you with a crime, investigate the circumstances of your arrest and determine if any evidence should be suppressed. For example, if the police violated your Fourth Amendment constitutional rights against unreasonable search and seizure, I will seek to have the charges dismissed.

Zak Goldstein is a Philadelphia criminal defense and civil rights attorney. Zak Goldstein has experience trying hundreds of cases before judges and juries, and he has represented clients in both state and federal court. He has successfully obtained full acquittals for his clients in both bench and jury trials. When appropriate, he has also been able to obtain favorable non-trial dispositions such as the dismissal of charges, entry into diversionary programs, or negotiated pleas to significantly reduced charges. Prior to entering private practice, Zak Goldstein was an Assistant Defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia; one of the most well regarded and highly trained public defender offices in the country. As a defender, he represented thousands of clients charged with crimes ranging from simple misdemeanors to the very most serious and complex felonies. After leaving the Defender Association, he worked as an associate for a nationally recognized AmLaw 200 law firm specializing in complex civil litigation. Zak Goldstein started his own practice because he is passionate about defending the constitutional rights of the accused and helping victims of police misconduct obtain justice. He is an experienced advocate who will fight hard for your rights in order to make sure that you have every possible advantage when dealing with the power of the police and the prosecutor. Zak Goldstein is an award winning criminal defense attorney. He is ranked as a Top Attorney in Criminal Defense with the highest Avvo rating of Superb. He was also recently selected as one of the National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40 in criminal defense. Attorney Goldstein graduated summa cum laude from Moravian College with a degree in Economics and a minor in Spanish. He graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the Villanova Law Review. During law school, Mr. Goldstein completed internships with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and a boutique law firm specializing in white collar criminal defense. Attorney Goldstein is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is an active member of the legal community, and he maintains memberships in the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Philadelphia Criminal Law Inn of Court, the American Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Leo Sokolov graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2012, and in 2015 he graduated from The John Marshall Law School now known as University of Illinois Chicago Law School with a J.D. in 2015. He received his LLM degree at John Marshall Law School concentrating in Tax in 2018. While in the Juris Doctor program at John Marshall, he also worked as a teaching assistant to Professor Julie M. Spanbauer and earned a CALI award in Constitutional Law. Prior to passing the bar, Leo gained nearly two years of experience working as a clerk for the Law Office of Michael P. Doman from January, 2014 through November, 2015. He then transitioned to an attorney with the firm and was sworn in as an Illinois Attorney in November, 2015. Leo is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association. He is fluent in Russian.

Originally from Colorado, Cory completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Utah State University before moving on to the University of Utah for law school. She enjoys using her education and experience to help others in the Tooele community. Cory has practiced in numerous areas, including real estate, construction defect, constitutional law, family law, and more. Recently, Cory has enjoyed narrowing her practice areas to estate planning, personal injury, and public defense. Over the past few years, Cory has become even more passionate about protecting the rights of disadvantaged members of her community and has focused her criminal practice on public defense. Cory genuinely enjoys her work as the Tooele County Managing Defender and her role in elevating defense resources for all persons charged with a crime.