RaquinMercer Law Offices
“The Defense Never Rests.”
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Our Successful Appeals

People who have suffered injustice in our criminal justice system need the help of attorneys who are capable of making things right. At RaquinMercer LLC, we are proud of the success we have been able to achieve for our clients in appellate courts in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Read more about some of our recent appellate successes:

  • Case 1: The State charged our client with sex abuse of a minor, and sex offense in the third degree for the same victim. The jury returned verdicts of guilty. The court imposed a 20-year executed sentence. On appeal, attorneys Isabelle Raquin and Steve Mercer raised the question whether the trial court erroneously permitted the State to introduce a transcript of the client’s video recorded interview with the police, where the transcript could have misled the jury about the meaning of the client’s statement to police, and where the court precluded the client from explaining to the jury what he meant and did not allow the video to be played except by the jury during deliberations.  The appellate court reversed the judgment of the trial court and remanded for a new trial.
  • Case 2: In this appellate case, attorneys Isabelle Raquin and Steve Mercer won relief for two drug court clients who were found in violation of Drug Court rules. Isabelle argued the case before the Court of Special Appeals and the Court of Appeals, winning at both levels of appeal for each client. The case established that due process requirements of notice and an opportunity to be heard must be construed to provide a Drug Court participant with a fair chance to challenge the allegation of a rule violation that could result in their imprisonment.
  • Case 3: In this appellate case, attorneys Isabelle Raquin and Steve Mercer won the reversal of a termination of parental rights judgment.
  • Case 4: In this appellate case, attorneys Isabelle Raquin and Steve Mercer won the reversal of a child custody order that reduced a father’s visitation without the benefit of an evidentiary hearing.
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Denial of a Detail and Implied Fabrication under § CJP 10-923: A Matter of First Impression

In Green v. State (No. 0854, September Term 2022), the Appellate Court of Maryland (ACM) decided, as a matter of first impression, whether the defendant’s denial of just one of the elements of the offense amounts to an implied allegation of fabrication necessary for...

How do you protect your DNA sample against privacy pitfalls?

DNA evidence can be helpful in solving crimes and freeing the innocent. However, collecting and analyzing DNA evidence can also raise privacy concerns. To protect your privacy, law enforcement agencies need to get your permission before collecting your DNA sample. But...

Why you should not give up after a wrongful conviction

The criminal justice system has sent innocent people behind bars. One man in particular, John Huffington, received two convictions for two murders he did not commit. The prosecutors of his case relied on expert testimony based on a scientifically unreliable analysis....

4 essential components of a criminal conviction appeal

When an individual faces a criminal conviction, the legal battle is far from over. The process of appealing a criminal conviction is complex and demanding, requiring careful consideration of several key elements. 1. Grounds for appeal The foundation of any criminal...