RaquinMercer Law Offices
“The Defense Never Rests.”

Criminal Defense

Is Evidence of Innocence Exculpatory Enough?

The Maryland Supreme Court’s last opinion of 2022, Carver v. State, 482 Md. 469 (2022) (Hotten, J.) (Gould, J., dissenting), analyzed the cumulative impact of newly discovered evidence and held that the newly discovered evidence did not “speak to” petitioner’s...

4 ways to prepare for a criminal trial

Many criminal cases never go to trial. If you face a different situation, you have a complex road ahead. Knowing that Maryland circuit court judges deal with thousands of cases every year, you likely have to wait months to finally get your day in court. As the date...

What do prosecutors do with touch DNA?

Even though there are plenty of people in jails and prisons in the U.S., it is not necessarily easy for prosecutors to secure convictions. Before even bringing criminal charges against a defendant, most prosecutors have to be certain they have compelling evidence....

When is pleading guilty not a good idea?

If you are facing criminal charges, you are probably ready to put them behind you. While there certainly is nothing wrong with wanting to move on with your life, you do not want to do anything to make matters worse for yourself. Unfortunately, prematurely accepting a...

The difference between robbery and burglary

Regarding theft crimes in Washington D.C., specific actions can fall under either a violent crime or a property crime. In general usage, people use the terms robbery and burglary interchangeably. In the courts, though, these words have more specific meanings and come...