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Notable Cases

Second-Degree Rape Charges

A Montgomery County man was charged with second-degree rape for allegedly forcing himself upon a woman while the two were on a date at her apartment. Despite being incarcerated while the trial was pending, the client maintained his innocence throughout the entire ordeal. At the first trial, Mr. Shepherd was able to persuade several jurors to believe in the client’s innocence by pointing out glaring holes in the victim’s versions of events. Unfortunately, the jury could not be convinced unanimously and a hung jury was declared. When the case came to trial for the second time, Mr. Shepherd was able to achieve not guilty verdicts on all but a minor misdemeanor. Facing over 30 years in jail, the client went home that same day.

Fourth DUI Charges

A Baltimore County man was charged with a DUI. This new charge was his fourth DUI in the past five years. The state of Maryland was seeking enhanced penalties including three years of incarceration. Knowing that the ability to challenge the allegations on their face was not likely to be successful, Mr. Shepherd immediately launched into action to enroll the client in alcohol addiction treatment. With Mr. Shepherd’s help, the client was able to attend inpatient treatment, followed by an intensive outpatient treatment program. The client, who had struggled unsuccessfully with alcoholism for close to 25 years got sober for four whole months before his hearing. At the hearing, Mr. Shepherd successfully argued against incarceration. Facing three years in jail, the client went home that same day. Happily, the client has remained sober to this day.

Second-Degree Assault Charges

A Carroll County man had been struggling with several severe mental health diagnoses. During one of his hospital stays, he assaulted a nurse while in a mental daze. He was charged with second-degree assault. Recognizing that the client was in desperate need of better mental health treatment and that he was not competent to stand trial in his current state, Mr. Shepherd demanded that the court do an evaluation as to whether or not the client was competent to stand trial. Ultimately the court agreed with Mr. Shepherd’s position and at his insistence ordered that the client be transferred to a state mental health facility that could properly treat the client for his many mental health issues.

Second-Degree Assault And Kidnapping Charges

A Baltimore County man was charged with second-degree assault and kidnapping as a result of being in the car at the same time as two individuals got into a physical altercation. Despite the fact that the client did not touch the victim, the victim accused the client of helping the other combatant to assault and kidnap her. Mr. Shepherd first was faced with the difficult task of getting the client home on bail. After successfully arguing for the client’s release on bail, Mr. Shepherd was able to convince the prosecutor that the charges were completely false. At Mr. Shepherd’s insistence, the charges were dismissed before the case even came to trial.

Drug Charges

A Frederick County man was pulled over in a car with two other people. When the police searched the car, they found cocaine, heroin, PCP, Xanax and two handguns. All of the occupants were charged with several counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances. Once Mr. Shepherd was able to review the discovery, it became apparent that the items in the car were most likely not the clients. At Mr. Shepherd’s request, the prosecutor took another look through the evidence and agreed that the client was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and that none of the items in the car were his. Facing over 20 years, the client’s case was dismissed before the case even came to trial.

Protective Order Defense

A Montgomery County man was facing a protective order filed by his estranged wife. The wife accused the client of throwing a wine glass at her which shattered and cut her arm. The wife’s story struck Mr. Shepherd as extremely flawed due to the appearance of the injuries which were seen in photographs. Mr. Shepherd secured a forensic pathologist to examine the photographs of the injuries and determine the truth or falsehood of the wife’s story. The forensic pathologist confirmed Mr. Shepherd’s suspicions that the wife caused the injuries herself by self-inflicting the wounds in order to frame the client. Based on the strength of the expert testimony as well as Mr. Shepherd’s argument, the protective order was dismissed.

Protective Order Defense

A Charles County man was facing a protective order filed by the mother of his child. The allegations, while disturbing, were lacking in key legal requirements. Noticing the deficiency in the opposing party’s filings, Mr. Shepherd was able to successfully argue that the opposing party’s case must be dismissed as a result of a legal theory called res judicata. The judge ultimately agreed and dismissed the protective order.

Burglary Charges

A Baltimore City man was charged with burglary. The prosecutor seemed very sure of the evidence in support of the charge. The client’s fingerprints were located at the victim’s house on the victim’s doorknobs. The problem was that the client was a locksmith who had changed the locks of the victim’s doors a couple of weeks before the alleged burglary. The victim didn’t remember hiring the client and the prosecutor seemed determined to continue to prosecute the client. Ultimately, Mr. Shepherd was able to convince the prosecutor to dismiss the charges without the need for a trial. Facing 20 years, the client went home that same day.

First- And Second-Degree Assault Charges

A Baltimore County client was charged with first- and second-degree assault for allegedly threatening his wife with a knife. The client was not a citizen and did not speak English. The police interrogated him without explaining his Miranda Rights. Due to the serious nature of the charges, he was held without bond pretrial. At trial, Mr. Shepherd vigorously objected to the unconstitutional nature of the interrogation and as a result, the client’s statement made during the interrogation was deemed inadmissible. Without that critical evidence, the case was placed on the STET docket (indefinitely postponed, most times it is equivalent to a dismissal). Facing 25 years, the client went home that same day.

Drug Charges And Second-Degree Assault Charges

An Anne Arundel County client was charged with possession of Marijuana and Heroin as well as a second-degree assault against the arresting police officer. The client was searched at the scene of the arrest and in conducting that search, the officer forced his fingers into the client’s mouth to search for drugs. Mr. Shepherd challenged the legality of this search and was successful in obtaining not-guilty verdicts on all charges due to the police officer’s violation of the client’s Fourth Amendment Rights. Facing close to 20 years, the client went home that same day.

Protective Order Defense

A Baltimore County woman filed a frivolous protective order against a client who was initially ordered by the court to vacate his home and to have no contact with his four young children for more than two weeks while the trial was pending. Adamant that he had done nothing wrong and that his spouse had fabricated the whole story, Mr. Shepherd was forced to litigate this matter. After aggressive cross-examination, the case was dismissed for lacking merit. The client was reunited with his children that same day. When an appeal was filed, Mr. Shepherd immediately got it dismissed without the need for a hearing. Roughly a year later, when a similar case was filed by the spouse again against the client, Mr. Shepherd was again successful at trial and the case was dismissed.

Possession With Intent To Distribute Marijuana Charges

A Prince George County client was charged with possession with intent to distribute Marijuana. Mr. Shepherd immediately requested that discovery be provided so that he could properly prepare for his client’s defense. This request included a demand that a chemical analysis is conducted on the alleged narcotics and that the chemist who performed the analysis be present at trial. The state neglected to provide that information until mere moments before the trial. Mr. Shepherd vehemently objected to this wildly unfair and late disclosure of critical evidence. Despite the state’s attorney arguing that there was nothing wrong with the late disclosure, the judge agreed with Mr. Shepherd and in addition to sanctioning the state by dismissing the case, the judge verbally admonished the state’s attorney for failing to abide by the discovery rules of the court. Facing five years, the client went home that same day.

Foreclosure Defense

Two Charles County clients were a husband and wife who owned a large family business that had unfortunately co-mingled finances with the clients’ personal accounts. When the clients’ house went into foreclosure, the bank attempted to seize over $500,000 in company assets. Mr. Shepherd was not only able to completely protect the company assets but negotiated a mortgage modification, which lowered the clients’ monthly mortgage payments significantly and reduced the amount of principal owed by more than $100,000. The clients were able to save their home and their business.

Driving Without a License, Driving Without Registration And Driving Without Insurance Charges

A Howard County client was charged with driving without a license, driving without registration and driving without insurance. The client was a teenager who drove her mother’s car before she earned her driver’s license. Unbeknownst to the client, the car was not properly insured or registered, which is why it had remained parked on her family’s lot for some time. Once Mr. Shepherd read the police report though, it became clear that the client was pulled over by the police officer without just cause. When Mr. Shepherd challenged the legality of the traffic stop, the judge agreed with him and found the client not guilty on all charges. Facing over a year, the client went home that same day.

Felon In Possession Of A Handgun Charges

A Montgomery County client was charged in connection with gang-related activity including felon in possession of a handgun. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. The client was not involved in gang activity and was instead simply looking to purchase drugs to fuel his addiction. Initially, the state’s attorney wanted to ensure that he spent the next 15-30 years in jail. Mr. Shepherd encouraged the client to enroll in substance abuse treatment. After considerable negotiation with the state’s attorney, Mr. Shepherd was able to get the state to admit that the client was not engaged in gang activity. Mr. Shepherd negotiated a plea deal for 18 months to be served in the Montgomery County Work Release Program. Facing close to 30 years in jail, the client was thrilled to avoid prison time.

DISCLAIMER: PRIOR OUTCOMES IN CASES IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS IN FUTURE CASES. ALL LEGAL MATTERS ARE UNIQUE AND THEREFORE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT THE OUTCOME. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT A LEGAL MATTER, CALL 443-998-9450 OR SEEK OTHER LEGAL REPRESENTATION.