Traffic
D.C. traffic offenses
Moving violations in the District are criminal charges, not tickets, and a bench warrant follows a missed date.
Criminal Defense — Washington, D.C.
The first 48 hours decide how the next twelve months go.
D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court move fast. Papering happens before arraignment. The DMV hearing window is short. Every hour without a lawyer is an hour the other side is working without you.
What happens after a D.C. arrest
Your case moves before you do.
Most people call a lawyer after arraignment. By then the charge is already filed and the release conditions are already set. Here is the actual sequence, and where a defense attorney can still change it.
Hour 0
Arrest and processing
MPD or a federal agency books you. You are asked questions. Nothing you say here helps you, and it is written down. You can ask for a lawyer and stop.
Hours 2–12
Papering
A prosecutor — the U.S. Attorney's Office or the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, depending on the offense — reviews the arrest and decides what to charge, or whether to charge at all. This is one of the few moments where what a defense lawyer puts in front of them can still shrink the case.
Hours 24–48
Arraignment or presentment
You appear before a judge. The charge is read, and conditions of release are set — stay-away orders, GPS, curfew, drug testing, or a request that you be held. These conditions shape your job and your family life for months.
Have counsel before thisDays, not weeks
The DMV clock (DUI cases)
A DUI arrest can start a separate administrative case against your driving privileges. The window to request that hearing is short, and it does not wait for the criminal case. Ask about your deadline the day you are released.
Weeks 2–8
Discovery, status hearings, and motions
Body-worn camera, the stop itself, the breath or blood testing, the search of the car. This is where cases are actually won or narrowed: by attacking how the evidence was obtained before anyone talks about a plea.
Month 3+
Resolution or trial
Dismissal, diversion, a negotiated plea, or trial. The right answer depends on your record, your immigration status, your security clearance, and your license — not on what is fastest.
Practice areas
Charges handled in the District
From a traffic citation you were told to ignore, to a federal indictment. If your charge is not listed, call anyway.
DUI / DWI
Impaired driving
Two cases open at once: the criminal charge and the fight for your license. Both need answering.
Weapons
Firearms and weapons charges
D.C. has its own registration and carry rules. A permit from home does not travel here, and charges stack quickly after a stop.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanor defense
A conviction that carries no jail time can still cost a clearance, a lease, or a job offer years later.
Felonies
Felony defense
Serious exposure, grand jury practice, and mandatory-minimum arguments that begin at the first hearing.
Federal
Federal criminal defense
Different prosecutors, different rules, and a sentencing guideline calculation that starts long before conviction.
Where your case will be heard
Two courthouses, four blocks apart, almost nothing in common.
Washington is the only city in the country where a routine arrest can land in either a local or a federal courtroom. The strategy is not interchangeable.
D.C. Superior Court
500 INDIANA AVENUE NW
- Hears D.C. Code offenses: traffic, DUI, weapons, misdemeanors, and felonies
- Prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office or the D.C. Attorney General
- High volume — arraignment calendars move fast, and so do release conditions
- Diversion, deferred sentencing, and sealing are real options worth pushing for early
U.S. District Court (D.D.C.)
333 CONSTITUTION AVENUE NW
- Hears federal offenses and crimes on federal land within the District
- Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, grand jury indictment, magistrate detention hearings
- Sentencing driven by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and a presentence report
- Investigations often start with a target letter, long before any arrest
Free consultation
Tell us what happened.
No charge for the first conversation, and no pressure to hire anyone. You will get a straight read on what you are facing and what the next date means.
Call now — answered 24/7
((877) 514-6707Someone in custody? Call with the arrestee's full name and date of birth and we will locate them and get to the papering stage.
Questions people ask at 2 a.m.
Straight answers, before you hire anyone.
How much does a D.C. criminal defense attorney cost?
The first conversation is free. Fees after that depend on the charge, the court, and how far the case is likely to go. You get a flat fee in writing before you hire us, so the cost of the case is not itself a surprise.
What is "papering," and why does it matter so much?
Papering is the step where a prosecutor reviews the arrest and decides what to charge, or whether to charge at all. It usually happens within a day of arrest, before arraignment. It is one of the last points where information from a defense lawyer can keep a charge from being filed in the first place.
Will my case be in D.C. Superior Court or federal court?
Most D.C. Code offenses go to Superior Court at 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Federal offenses, and offenses committed on federal property in the District, go to the U.S. District Court at 333 Constitution Avenue NW. The prosecutors, the procedure, and the sentencing math are all different, which is why the same facts can call for a different strategy depending on the building.
Will a DUI arrest take my license?
A DUI arrest can open a D.C. DMV proceeding against your driving privileges that runs on its own clock, separate from the criminal charge. The window to request that hearing is short, and letting it lapse can cost you the license even if the criminal case later goes your way. Ask about your specific deadline immediately — it depends on where your license was issued.
I have a carry permit from my home state. Why was I charged?
The District has its own registration and carry-licensing scheme, and a permit issued elsewhere does not by itself make carrying lawful here. Carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition are routinely charged together after a traffic stop or an airport screening.
Can I just pay the D.C. traffic charge and be done?
Sometimes, and sometimes it is the worst thing you can do. Several D.C. moving offenses are criminal, meaning a resolution can leave you with a record, points, insurance consequences, or a suspension in your home state. Find out which kind you are facing before you check a box.
Does a misdemeanor really matter if there is no jail time?
It can. Security clearances, immigration status, professional licensing, military service, housing applications, and background checks all react to the record rather than the sentence. Sealing and diversion are far easier to pursue at the start of a case than after it closes.
Do you take cases in Maryland and Virginia?
Ask when you call. Admission is state by state, and if we are not the right firm for where your case sits, we will tell you that on the first call and point you somewhere useful.