Ocean City, MD Criminal Law Advice

Attorney Marc A. Zeve, PA offers criminal law advice to clients in Ocean City, MD and surrounding areas. See our advice on what to do if you are arrested.

What To Do:

1. For DUI charges, number one, if you're a Maryland resident and your license was confiscated, you need to fill out the hearing request form particularly if you blew a .14 or less. This must be mailed within ten days. The form is attached to page two of your paper license, the DR-15(a). Keep a copy of what you send in and the check for $125 for your records. This must be postmarked within the first ten days. Again, after ten days but before 30 days, it is discretionary upon the Motor Vehicle Administration to grant you a hearing. 
    
2. Go to the Motor Vehicle Administration, obtain a copy of your complete Maryland driving record and a copy of your PBJ record (probation before judgment record).  These must be certified. If you are an out-of-state resident, for instance, from Pennsylvania, you must go to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and get a certified copy of your Pennsylvania driving record. Most of our Judges will not consider granting you probation before judgment, thus saving you points and a conviction, unless you appear at Court with your Pennsylvania driving record. All records should be certified and forwarded to me before trial if you choose to hire me. 
    
3. If you find yourself in jail, there are many bonding companies in Ocean City and in Wicomico County. Finding a bail bondsman is a very simple matter. Before posting a bond, depending on the amount, I encourage people to contact me. What people don't realize is that people that post bonds pay 10 percent to the bondsman. Once you pay that 10 percent to the bondsman, they are no longer responsible for returning it to you. 
   
   If you are in jail, you're entitled to a bond review. Most judges will reduce your bond to 10 percent at the bond hearing if you are represented by counsel. If a family member posts that bond, that money will be refunded to you 30 days after your appearance in court. 
   
   An example would be, if you have a bond for $25,000 and you obtained a bondsman so you can be released from jail, the bondsman will charge you $2,500 (10%) for that bond and your agreement to return to court. The $2,500 that you pay the bondsman will be lost and becomes the property of the bondsman. 
   
   However, you have a right to an automatic bond review. At the bond review, a lawyer can ask that your bond be lowered and reduced to 10 percent because the Judge knows that bondsmen charge 10 percent. You can post that $2,500 with the court yourself since you're going to have to pay it anyway. Once you appear in court, the bond would be returned to you and the $2,500 will be yours to keep. I encourage everyone who is incarcerated to request a bond review, and most importantly, if you are charged with a Felony, to request a Preliminary Hearing. 
   
   A Preliminary Hearing is where the State lays out the evidence against you in the District Court on Felony matters. While you are not permitted to testify, it is a good opportunity for the lawyer to find out exactly what evidence the State has against you. And oftentimes, Felony charges are reduced to Misdemeanor charges and kept in the District Court in these matters. 
    
4. If you've been involved in a criminal charge, for instance, assault or theft, it is very important that you get receipts, everybody's name that was with you, their name(s) and address(es). This makes it easier for us to get subpoenas, if necessary, for a witness to testify at trial. Also, Ocean City is highly concentrated with video cameras. It allows us to immediately capture the videotape, from the restaurant, business or State, of the event if one does exist. Unfortunately, most videotapes are overwritten in 30 days. So this must be done quickly. It is important to get pictures and videotapes in addition to 911 calls. I have always said that a picture is worth a lot more than a thousand words. Physical injuries heal and, therefore, pictures are crucial in any defense. 
    
5. If you wish, you can get photos of your own injuries. You should also take pictures of the areas or place in which the incident occurred. 
   
   Do not talk to any police officers in follow-up conversations after your arrest. I advise people not to give statements to police even at the time of arrest or after arrest.  Remember, the police are not your friends. They do not have your best interests in mind. In fact, police are allowed to lie to defendants in an effort to gain confessions, and while that seems unfair, it is true. So remember, exercise your right to remain silent! 

Once charged with any offense, lawyers from all over the state, who do not have offices in Ocean City or Worcester County, will start sending you solicitation letters. We call these lawyers Mass Mailers. They send letters meant to scare you into hiring them.

My belief is that they lack the personal relationships necessary to effectively handle your case. The fees are often much higher than mine to cover their travel and lodging expenses. They tend to take several cases on one day to minimize their own expenses. This causes your case to be lumped in with others to save them time, not to help you. They are not members of the local Bar. And basically, if I was in trouble, I would only hire a lawyer who practices in the local area, not one who works out of their car and has no local offices or contacts.

Contact Marc A. Zeve today at 410-208-4244 for your Ocean City, MD criminal law questions.