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Things to Look for When Selecting a Malicious Wounding Attorney: Part 7 Winning the Case

Conviction of malicious wounding in Virginia carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and a minimum term of 5 years. When a weapon such as a knife, a gun or other instrument that can cause serious injury is involved, the accused faces the likelihood of conviction and a stiffer penalty.

The Commonwealth assesses this factor, the degree of injury sustained by the victim, along with the facts gathered by the police investigation of the incident, and the criminal history of the accused, when determining how to prepare its case. Where many prosecution cases lack success is when the Commonwealth and it law enforcement investigators fail in determining ahead of time the lack of credibility of its witnesses, the victim's proclivity for initiating violence against others, and the underlying circumstances of the incident.

Preparing a successful defense is costly, and time-consuming, but often results in "not guilty" verdicts, or conviction of a lesser crime that is punishable by less prison time.

Our strategy in serious cases is to match the resources of the Commonwealth's attorney, conducting an independent investigation of our own using retired FBI agents to conduct interviews and background investigations of the key witnesses of the Commonwealth, and of the victim.

We also use experienced former FBI scientists to verify or dispute forensic evidence the Commonwealth may attempt to use to prove our client's guilt.

While the facts in every case differ and we can offer no guarantee of the outcome in each case, historically, we have been most successful in the defense of malicious wounding cases by using these resources, by being prepared to attack every relevant point of the Commonwealth's case.

Bear these consderations in mind before selecting a lawyer to represent you, a friend, or family member on a malicious wounding charge.

Mr. Stelly regularly appears in the courts of the City of Richmond, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Goochland County, and Hanover County.

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