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Virginia Drug Possession & Felony Crimes Defense Lawyer for Cases in Virginia and United States Courts

A Criminal Defense Attorney with FBI Experience 

Police officers make mistakes, and either deliberately, or negligently, far too often break the law in their efforts to do their jobs. As a result, innocent people are arrested all the time. Are you prepared to risk your freedom and your reputation by placing your defense in the hands of a lawyer who may be asleep at the wheel at a critical moment?

As one of only two practicing criminal defense attorneys in the Richmond Virginia area with an FBI background, Anton J. Stelly is uniquely qualified to help navigate the challenges his clients face as a criminal defendant, or suspect.  During Mr. Stelly’s decade working in the FBI, he personally directed or participated in many successful criminal investigations, in addition to providing legal advice and training to FBI agents and local police in his capacity as a Legal Advisor in the Washington and Dallas Field Divisions. 

Mr. Stelly has defended people charged in both state and federal courts facing a wide variety of crimes.  Residents of the Richmond area who have been charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence (DUI), malicious wounding, drug use or possession, theft, murder, rape, sexual crimes, assault, larceny, computer crime, embezzlement, or juvenile crimes can count on Mr. Stelly’s personal, aggressive, and principled representation.

Help for Serious Criminal Charges 

Mr. Stelly has had successfull experience defending clients charged with a variety of crimes, such as:

• Violent Crimes:  Being found guilty of a violent crime  such as malicious wounding, sexual assaualt, rape, murder, manslaughter, arson, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, or assault and battery may result in lengthy jail sentences that can effectively ruin many lives.  Tony Stelly aggressively A good criminal defense attorney will ensure that you are treated fairly and that your rights are respected.
• Drug Crimes:  Possession, trafficking, or distribution of heroin, cocaine (including crack), marijuana and other controlled substances can result in serious fines and jail sentences that will take away your freedom and have a negative impact on your future.
  
  

Don’t let the gravity of the criminal charges you are facing prevent you from taking action to protect your rights.  Regardless of the type of crime you have been accused of, contact Anton J. Stelly today and find out what an aggressive criminal defense attorney with over 10 years of FBI experience can do for you.

Law Chambers of Anton J. Stelly
P.O. Box 11276
6002A West Broad Street, Suite 205
Richmond, Virginia 23230-1276
telephone: (804) 726-4778
fax: (804) 726-4779
tony@stellyvirginialaw.com

 Proudly Serving these Virginia Cities and Counties:
Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, Louisa, New Kent, Goochland, Glen Allen, Short Pump, Ashland, Chesterfield, Chester, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Mechanicsville, Highland Springs, Sandston, Powhatan

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

Blog for Felony (Larceny /Malicious wounding)

• Punishment for Conviction of a Felony in Virginia
• When is a Person "In Custody" in Virginia?
• Miranda Rights in Virginia
• Unlawful Wounding: A Lesser Offense to Malicious Wounding in Virginia
• Malicious Wounding in Virginia Takes Three Forms
• Former Henrico Policeman Faces Federal Ponzi Scheme Charges
• 81 Year Old Virginia Man Jailed in Internet Sex Sting
• Malicious Wounding Charge in Prince George Virginia Results in Not Guilty Verdict
• Search Warrants in Virginia
• Compensating Those Wrongly Imprisoned -- The Texas Approach is Better Than Virginia's
• Milwaukee Man to Face Single Trial in Seven Murders Spanning Several Years
• Deer Hunter Under Investigation in Shooting Death in King George, Virginia
• When Drug Dealers Call the Cops
• Malicious Woundings on Rise in Henrico?
• Would You Use a Gun to Prevent Crimes
• Lagarrette Blount: New Symbol of Bad Sportsmanship?
• How Virginia Drug Arrests May Be Challenged
• Confessions Hurt: Exercise Your Miranda Rights When Questioned by Police
• Theft of Personal Data Triggers FBI Probe
• Should Teens Be Prosecuted for "Sexting?"

Library for Felony (Larceny /Malicious wounding):

• Successful Defense of Malicious Wounding Charges in Virginia Requires the Skills of an Attorney With a Proven Track Record of Successfully Representing Clients Against Malicous Wounding Charges   
  Description: Persons Charged With Malicious Wounding in Virginia Face Serious Consequences if Convicted, Including a Prison Term That Can Range From 5 to 20 years.
• In additon to the usual reasons that teens should be educated about the consequences of sexual activity, parents need to know and explain to their children that sexual activity with persons under a certain age are illegal, and can lead to severe, lifelong consequences.   
  Description: For many teenagers in Virginia, engaging in sexual activity could lead to criminal charges, jail, and a lifetime of disappointment.
• Judge Accepts Jury Recommendation on Sentence for Shooting of Richmond Man   
  Description: An illicit affair between a former teacher and a young man led to blackmail, a shooting, and now the incarceration of a 20 year old man who pulled the trigger after a blackmail scheme ended in Richmond, Virginia last year.
• Illegal Police Search Results in Reversal of Marijuana Conviction   
  Description: The Virginia Court of Appeals recently reversed a marijuana conviction because the police illegally searched the defendant to find the marijuana that was admitted to convict him.
• Fourth Circuit Remands Case Where District Court Presumed Sentence Within Guidelines Range Correct   
  Description: The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded a case for re-sentencing because the judge Presumed that he could sentence the defendant within the range suggested by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and comply with the "reasonableness" provisions of federal law on sentencing, he committed reversible error.
• Virginia Federal Court Judges Give Harsh Sentences to Distributors of Cocaine and Crack   
  Description: Virginia federal courts are tough on sentencing drug dealers, particularly in the Eastern District. On May 28, 2009, a federal judge in Richmond sentenced two brothers for their roles in a large cocaine and crack distribution operation. One was sentenced to life in prison, and the other received 40 years in prison.
• Police and Prosecutors Unsure if Porn Laws Broken by Sexting Teens   
  Description: Police and prosecutors in Richmond, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, Henrico County, and elsewhere in Virginia, and in other states, have taken differing views on whether to treat teens who send nude images of themselves to friends over cellphones and the Internet as child pornographers, or just kids engaging in reckless fun. USA Today reports on the attitudes of some.
• Virginia Prisoner Must Be Brought to Trial Within 5 Months   
  Description: Virginia criminal defense attorney Tony Stelly explains Virginia's Speedy Trial Act. Under Virginia law, the Commonwealth has 5 months within which to bring a prisoner to trial after his preliminary hearing or his indictment. Failure to abide by the 5-month rule can lead to dismissal of the indictment and the charges. This law applies to Virginia felony cases where the defendant has not consented to a continuance, or waived his rights under the Speedy Trial Act.
• Miranda RIghts Must Be Knowingly Waived When Questioned by Police   
  Description: Many times confessions are not reliable because they have been obtained by police misconduct. Former FBI agent and Virginia criminal defense attorney, Tony Stelly, discusses the intricacies of the constituional rights one must be given under Miranda v. Arizona before being questioned by police while he is in custody or under arrest. Included are the right to remain silent, the right to have an attorney present during questioning, and the waiver of such rights.
• Teenage "Sexting" Under Investigation   
  Description: Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Mark Bowes investigated "sexting" patterns in local area jurisdictions. Read what he learned in this excerpt from his report filed May 2, 2009.
• Virginia Teens Charged With Child Pornography in "Sexting" Probe   
  Description: Various news services are reporting that teens as young as 13 are sending nude and obscene photos to friends with their cell phones. Parents and police are concerned the practice will lead to serious consequences.
• Understanding Virginia Police Procedures: Traffic Cases: Part 1   
  Description: Former FBI agent and Richmond, Virginia criminal defense attorney Tony Stelly initiates his series of reports on understanding police procedures by discussing the most frequest citizen-police encounter: traffic violations. He explains why you must be aware of your constitutional rights when engaged in even a simple roadsdie discussion with police officers. Whether you realize it or not, the policeman making a traffic stop is trained to be on the lookout for more than just giving you a ticket and sending you along your way.
• The Virginia "Bill of Rights"   
  Description: A few weeks before the Declaration of Independence was ratified in Philadelphia, a "gentleman farmer" named George Mason crafted what was to become known, and ratified into law, as the Virginia Declaration of Rights. It has remained the bedrock of law in Virginia for over 300 yers.
• Know Your Constitutional Rights   
  Description: The National Archives has made available at its website the Bill of Rights. These are the First Ten Amendmnets to the Constitution. Everyone should know them.
• Prosecutorial Misconduct or Jury Error -- What is Going On In Virginia?   
  Description: Are unjust convictions on the rise?
• Does the Breath Test Accurately Determine the Amount of Alcohol in Your Blood?   
  Description: Virginia police use a breathalyzer for evidence in DUI cases almost all of the time. However, the instrument is not infallible and the readings can be inaccurate in many instances. Former FBI agent and Richmond, Virginia criminal defense attorney duscusses the breathalyzer and explains why test results can be skewed.
• Understanding Virginia Police Procedures: Traffic Cases: Part 2   
  Description: Former FBI agent and Richmond, Virginia criminal defense attorney Tony Stelly continues his series of reports on Virginia police procedures. Sometimes traffic officers make stops on a hunch, or a minor violation. In this segment, Mr. Stelly explains the circumstances that must exist before an officer can stop your car, and why you should not be ignorant of your rights.
• Common Sense for Virginia Drivers: Think Hard Before Having That Drink   
  Description: Be aware that Virginia is among the states the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ranks highly for enforcing DUI laws. This offense is taken very seriously by the officers enforcing the law, by the Commonwealth’s Attorneys who prosecute violators, and by the judges who try the cases. If you are not sure if you have had too much to drink before starting your car—DON’T!
• Understanding Virginia Police Procedures: Traffic Violations: Part 3   
  Description: Continuing his series on Virginia police procedures, former FBI agent and Richmond, Virginia criminal defense attorney Tony Stelly, discusses what can transpire in a typical traffic stop. Using a hypothetical example of a person suspected of reckless driving, Mr. Stelly explains how to best respond in this situation.
• Understanding Virginia Police Procedures: Overview   
  Description: Former FBI agent and criminal defense attorney Tony Stelly begins his series of reports on the importance of understanding your rights when approached by police officers. This overview explains why the public is at a disadvantage in dealing with law enforcement officers who suspect you of crimes, and why you need to exerecise caution.

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Frequent Questions for Felony (Larceny /Malicious wounding):

• When does a search warrant expire?
• When police have a search warrant for a person's house, may they search everywhere?
• Can the police reach into the pockets of my pants or jacket without a search warrant?
• If a police officer asks to search my car, and I consent, does that give him the right to look into my girlfriend's purse or my backpack, too? 
• What is "direct evidence?"
• What is circumstantial evidence?
• Is a jury trial always better than a trial before the judge alone?
• I pled guilty to a charge, but the sentence was harsher than my lawyer told me to expect. Can I appeal?
• What does a magistrate do?
• What is an "Alford plea?"
• What is a "Terry Stop?"
• What is an alibi?
• What is exculpatory evidence?

• I was brought in for questioning and signed a Miranda waiver even though I did not want to do it -- the police threatened to arrest me if I did not talk to them. I was arrested anyway after I talked to them. Am I screwed?

• What is an "accommodation sale?"
• Can a person be convicted when the case is based only on circumstantial evidence?
• When my friend was stopped for speeding, the officer asked me to get out of the car, too. I complied, but I wasn't sure legally, if he could order me to do that . Can he?
• My cousin was talking with a group of friends on the street when a police car slowly drove by. My cousin saw the officer looking over the group of them very intensely and decided that he'd better get out of there because he was afraid the police were looking for one of his friends. However, when he began walking away the police car stopped and the officer followed him and asked him to stop, which he did. The officer then began questioning him and started to search him and found some contraband. He was then put under arrest. Isn't this illegal?
• Once I was stopped for having a pine tree air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror, and after he gave me the ticket, the officer asked if I had anything illegal like drugs in my car, and if he could search it. I did not know what to do so I let him. What would have happened if I said “No”?
• Do I have the right to talk to an attorney before answering any questions the policeman asks me?

Case Results for Felony (Larceny /Malicious wounding):

• Wounding Charge Dismissed Against Richmonder for Using Pepper Spray
• Prince George Judge Finds Man Not Guilty of Malicious Wounding Charge
• Malicious Wounding Charge Downgraded in Prince George, Virginia
• Henrico Grand Larceny Charge Dropped at Preliminary Hearing
• College Student Escapes Reckless Driving Charge in Richmond
• Henrico Man Cleared of Malicious Wounding & Firearms Charges
• Virginia Use of Firearm Charge Dismissed at Preliminary Hearing
• The Case of the Careless Commonwealth's Attorney
• The Case of the Lying Policeman
• The Innocent “Arsonist”

Web Resources for Felony (Larceny /Malicious wounding):

• Federal Drug Possession Law

  Description: Title 21, section 841, of the United States Code proscribes the possesion of certain controlled drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and others.

• Mandatory Suspension of Driver's License Upon Conviction of Drug Offenses

  Description: Code section 18.2-259.1 requires the court to suspend the driver's license for at least six months of a person convicted of a drug offense, though the court does have the discretion to issue a restricted license.

• Possible Leniency for First Time Drug Law Violations in Virginia

  Description: Code section 18.2-251 provides for probation in certain cases involving convictions for drug offenses in Virginia.

• Possession of Marijuana Illegal in Virginia

  Description: Code section 18.2-250.1 makes possession of marijuana illegal in Virginia, and also specifies the penalty one faces if convicted.

• Penalties for Possession of Controlled Substances in Virginia

  Description: Code section 18.2-250 sets forth the penalties the court may impose for possesion of various controlled substances in Virginia that have not been obtained through a doctor's prescription or otherwise lawfully acquired.

• Penalties for Marijuana Conviction in Virginia

  Description: Code section 18.2-248.1 specifies the penalties the court may impose for violations of the state marijuana laws.

• Methamphetamine Illegal in Virginia

  Description: Code section 18.2-248.03 spefically addresses the illegal manufacture, sale, or posseesion with intent to sell or distribute, methamphetamines.

• Penalties for Violation of the Virginia Drug Control Act

  Description: Code section 18.2-248 is the statute that governs violations of the Virginia Drug Control Act, and describes what constitutes a violation of the Act, and specifies the range of punishment the court may impose upon conviction.

• Prohibition Against Transporting into the Commonwealth Controlled Substances in Violation of the Virginia Drug Control Act

  Description: Code section 18.2-248.01 is a separate and distinct felony offense aimed at deterring the transportation of drugs into the Commonwealth of Virginia in violation of the Drug Control Act. It provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of three years imprisonment upon conviction.

• Penalties for Violation of the Virginia Drug Control Act

  Description: Code section 18.2-248 is the statute that governs violations of the Virginia Drug Control Act, and describes what constitutes a violation of the Act, and specifies the range of punishment the court may impose upon conviction.

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