The Plains Criminal Lawyers

David J. Dischley is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney and the founder of Dischley Law, PLLC. With nearly 15 years of practice, he has established a formidable presence in Virginia’s legal landscape, defending clients against a wide range of criminal charges in both state and federal courts. Attorney Dischley's journey in law began with his graduation cum laude from Northern Virginia Community College with an Associate of Applied Science in administration of justice. He then earned his Bachelor of Science in the same field from George Mason University, followed by his Juris Doctor from the Antonin Scalia Law School at...

A former Virginia prosecutor who knows the state’s strategies—and how to fight them. Moreover, he’s a second-generation criminal defense lawyer who is dedicated to protecting the rights of people in Virginia.

Born and raised in Fairfax County, Faraji stayed close to home to study at the prestigious Georgetown University Law Center. Then he spent four years prosecuting cases as part of the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, where he gained deep experience in every area of criminal law and, most importantly, learned how prosecutors think.

Faraji began his criminal defense work in 2009, using his prosecuting experience to build strong cases...

Jean Humbrecht is the founding attorney at Humbrecht Law, P.L.L.C. She is admitted to practice law in all courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Ms. Humbrecht handles primarily criminal and traffic cases throughout Northern Virginia. Prior to opening her own practice, Jean Humbrecht worked for a criminal defense firm in Fairfax, VA. Ms. Humbrecht received her Master's in Litigation at The George Washington University Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude. This additional degree she...

THOMAS SOLDAN is a personal injury and criminal defense attorney practicing in Virginia. Thomas has spent his entire career fighting for the rights of those injured due to the negligence of another and those facing serious consequences as a result of criminal charges.

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: Thomas also regularly represents those charged with serious criminal offenses. Mr. Soldan has handled a wide variety of criminal cases including, DUI offenses and Reckless Driving, drug charges, assault charges, larceny offenses, as well as domestic violence and sex offense charges.

PERSONAL INJURY: Common types of personal injury he regularly handles include car...

Vishrut Shelat, Esq. is a D.C. Barred Attorney, who specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, and Business Law & Entity Formation. Vishrut has 3 years of professional experience in the legal field, with cases involving both transactional and litigation work. After working with companies such as Thompson Reuters, Robert Half, and Wolters Kluwer, Vishrut decided to use his accumulated legal experience and contacts to forge his own law firm to better serve his clients with his vision. This desire led him to create TheBajLawGroup PLLC, the premier boutique law firm specializing in Immigration Law, Criminal Law, and Business Law & Entity...

Attorney Robert “Bob” McClain has dedicated most of his 18 year career in law to public service and the criminal justice system. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004, he began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. In 2011, he was promoted to Deputy Commonwealth Attorney and served in that position until 2020 when he moved to the Prince William Commonwealth Attorney’s Office as Senior Assistant in the Homicide/ Violent Crimes section of that office. Bob brings with him over 15 years of experience litigating in the criminal justice systems of Northern Virginia....

Karin Riley Porter is an experienced Virginia criminal lawyer handling many different types of criminal offenses in Virginia. Common criminal offenses Ms. Porter deals with include drug offenses, DUI offenses, reckless driving charges, as well as assault charges to name a few. Ms. Porter began her career in law as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, where she prosecuted cases for almost a decade. While there, she grew to understand the need for proper criminal representation in the justice system, and elected to become a criminal defense lawyer. She is a member of the National College for DUI Defense and has been...

C.J. has represented individuals and businesses all over the Commonwealth of Virginia in a variety of criminal, DUI, traffic, and civil matters. C.J.’s criminal, DUI, and traffic experience includes low-level traffic citations, more serious traffic matters like Reckless Driving and DUI, misdemeanor criminal offenses such as simple assault and battery, domestic violence, and shoplifting offenses, to the most serious felony crimes including violent crime, drug possession and distribution, homicide, and sexually-based offenses. It is C.J.’s mission to provide affordable, aggressive, and effective representation to those accused of a criminal or traffic offense in his native home of Northern Virginia and...

Ryan M. Schmalzle is a principal and founder of the firm. His practice focuses on family law, civil litigation, and criminal law. Ryan regularly practices in several jurisdictions in Northern Virginia including Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Clarke County, Frederick County and the City of Winchester. He also practices in the Maryland Courts, including Frederick County and Montgomery County. Ryan is an adjunct professor of law at George Mason University School of Law where he teaches appellate writing. Ryan also serves as a Special Justice in Loudoun County and he presides over civil commitment hearings. Although Ryan’s primary love...

Name and co-founding partner Michele L. Burton was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia where she obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Anthropology. Shortly thereafter, Michele graduated from Old Dominion University with a Master of Arts in Humanities with a focus on Race and Law. In May 2012, she graduated from the College of William and Mary School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and passed the bar in October of that year. Upon graduation, Michele worked as a magistrate in Norfolk, Virginia for two years where she conducted probable cause...

For over a decade, lawyer Sarah Bruns has been aggressively protecting the rights of her clients in Northern Virginia. As a seasoned trial attorney, Sarah has defended individuals charged with Murder, Rape, Robbery, Theft, and Drug Possession/Distribution. Sarah also has extensive experience in representing clients charged with traffic offenses such as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI/DUI) and Hit and Run. While some crimes carry more severe penalties than others, Sarah handles every client’s case knowing that it is the most important one for that client. She believes that no client should be treated as if their issue is of little consequence. Sarah’s...

Virginia criminal defense attorney Steve Duckett has devoted his career to fighting for the right's of individuals charged with criminal offenses in the state of Virginia. Steve Duckett has handled a wide variety of criminal cases including, but not limited to, DUI charges, assault charges, drug charges, reckless driving charges, as well as federal charges. Mr. Duckett graduated from the University of Richmond with a Political Science and Economics degree in 1994. Since receiving his Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University he has practiced criminal law exclusively in the various courthouses in Northern Virginia. Mr. Duckett is admitted to practice...

James M. Johnson graduated from James Madison University in with degrees in Biology and Economics. He received his Juris Doctor from the George Mason School of Law. James Johnson has worked at the outstanding law firms of Pfitzner & Morley, Johnson Ford Law, and now he is the managing attorney at the Johnson Law Firm, PC. He is admitted to practice in all Virginia courts, as well as the Federal and Bankruptcy courts of the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.

Debbie McIntyre-Yurkovich is a founding partner of McIntyre DeFede Law PLLC. Her clients benefit from her many years of experience and knowledge garnered from prior cases and clients. Ms. McIntyre-Yurkovich has represented individuals in a variety of matters throughout Northern Virginia. Ms. McIntyre-Yurkovich is also the parent of a child with special needs, and she understands the unique circumstances that present legally, economically, and emotionally to parents of special needs children. Ms. McIntyre-Yurkovich is proud that many of her client referrals come from her many satisfied current and past clients. She is equally proud that she...

Joe Pricone is a trial lawyer with experience representing clients charged with a range of criminal charges from murder to reckless driving in Virginia and federal court. Whether your case is a felony, misdemeanor, or traffic infraction, Joe will fight for you at trial, in negotiation, and at all stages of representation. Joe has a track record of success and designs legal strategies tailored to each individual case with the goal of winning each case.

REPRESENTTIVE CASES - United States v. Bosyk, 933 F3d 319 (4th Cir. 2019) cert denied, 140 S. Ct. 1124 (U.S. Feb. 24, 2020)(No. 19-860), 2019. - Shepherd v. Conde, 797 S.E.2d 750 (Va. 2017) - Chacey v. Garvey, 781 S.E.2d 357, (Va. 2015) - Weatherholt v. Commonwealth, 839 S.E.2d 492 (Va. 2020) - Spell v. Commonwealth, 851 S.E.2d 83 (2020) - St. John v. Thompson, 854 S.E.2d 648 (2021) CLASSES/SEMINARS - Land Use and Zoning: Navigate Land Use/Zoning Regulations, Permitting Issues, Disputes and More; National Business Institute, July 20, 2017 - How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (and Keep Theirs Out), National Business Institute,...

Nominated Best Advocate in the Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC) National Trial Competition, Vance brings both an academic skillset and courtroom training to the firm. Additionally, Vance was part of his law school’s highly competitive Honors Moot Court team, and excelled to the point of being elected to serve on Santa Clara’s Honors Moot Court Board of Directors. Vance also possesses a noteworthy assortment of criminal and civil law expertise via his work at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Sunnyvale City Attorney’s Office, and as an Associate for Lexis Nexis Legal Research. A native Texan, Vance sat...

Attorney Dagoberto J. Rodriguez is the founder and owner of Rodriguez Law Firm. He is licensed to practice law in the state courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Eastern District Court of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Rodriguez is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the District of Columbia Bar and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Furthermore, Attorney Rodriguez has been selected by the National Trial Lawyers Association as a Top 100 Lawyer in Virginia and has been awarded the prize of Top 40 under 40.

Mr. Rodriguez, was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He attended Universidad Santa...

David has been in practice nearly 25 years, 20 of which were in Ohio before he relocated to Virginia. In his earlier years of private practice, David’s primary focus was business law, criminal law, and consumer law. In 2021, David moved to Virginia and continued his career as a Public Defender serving as Senior Trial Attorney with the Fredericksburg Public Defender. There, he represented clients charged with felony crimes in Stafford County, Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg. As lead or co-counsel, he has tried over 25 felony jury trials including 7 murder trials to verdict with 2 death penalty trials to...

William "Ben" Mann is an experienced Virginia defense attorney who has devoted his career to protecting the rights of his clients. Mr. Mann has handled a wide variety of criminal case types including felonies, DUI defense, drug cases, assault cases, domestic violence cases, as well as reckless driving cases. Mr. Mann is a member of the State Bar of Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010. Mr. Mann was named a top 100 trial lawyer by National Trial Lawyers in 2014, as well as to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.

Buta Biberaj was born in Montenegro and is of Albanian parentage. She was raised in the Bronx borough of New York City. She graduated from George Mason University with a B.S. in Education in 1987 and received her Juris Doctorate (JD) from the George Mason University School of Law in 1993. Buta is licensed to practice in the State Courts for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Maryland and New York. She is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. Buta’s involvement in the community is evidenced by her participation and service which include being a mentor for...

Michael J. Seck, Esquire born Ann Arbor, Michigan; admitted to Virginia bar October 12, 2001, Supreme Court of Virginia, October 29, 2001, Supreme Court of New Jersey, December 7, 2002, United States District Court, District of New Jersey, December 31, 2001 Education: Elon College, North Carolina (B.A., Politics, August 1996); The Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Michigan, (Juris Doctor, January 2001) Practice Areas: Criminal Law; Adult and Juvenile Felonies and Misdemeanors; Driving While Intoxicated; Traffic Law; Divorce; Domestic Relations; Adoption; Civil Litigation; Landlord/Tenant; Business & Corporate Law; Wills and Estates; HOA Disputes; Consumer Protection; Products Liability; Personal Injury ...

Scott has been practicing law in Virginia since 1999. He is licensed to practice law in four jurisdictions, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia and Colorado. Scott’s first four years were focused almost exclusively on bankruptcy law. Twenty plus years later, bankruptcy continues to be an integral part of his practice and focus. It is an area of practice that intersects with many other legal issues on regular basis. Not many attorneys practice bankruptcy, and when a bankruptcy related issue comes up, Scott is always willing to share his insights when other attorneys have questions. Scott joined the Manassas Law Group in 2003,...

If you're looking for an attorney who will stand by your side, protect your rights, and get you the best possible outcome, meet Pierre Priale. Pierre Priale is the founder and CEO of Right Path Law Group, a law firm that specializes in criminal defense and personal injury cases in Northern Virginia. Pierre has over 18 years of legal experience, handling more than 2,000 cases in both public and private sectors. He has a proven track record of success in defending people accused of criminal charges, such as felonies, misdemeanors, DUI, juvenile, sex crimes, and gun charges. He has also helped countless...

I focus my practice on five areas: family law, civil litigation, bankruptcy, criminal defense, business law and contract drafting. For family law matters, I can assist clients with divorce, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, and protective orders. I also have experience in a wide variety of civil litigation, ranging from breach of contract claims to property ownership disputes and beyond. I earned my law degree from Villanova University School of Law where I served as a student attorney in Villanova’s Clinic for Asylum, Refugee, and Emigrant Services. Passionate about pro bono work, I also volunteered as the Chair of the...

As a criminal defense attorney, John has fought aggressively for his clients’ rights in cases involving serious felonies, including murder, malicious wounding, drug possession/distribution, white-collar crimes, and sex crimes (e.g. rape, child pornography) as well as all types of misdemeanors, including DUI, assault and battery, and simple driving infractions, such as reckless driving. As a civil litigation lawyer, John has experience in both jury trials and bench trials, and has represented clients in cases worth millions of dollars. Early on in his career, he litigated patent infringement cases all over the country. Over the years, he has continued to excel in...

Shannon Johnson is the founding attorney of the Law Offices of SK Johnson. Shannon has focused her practice area related to all criminal matters and claims for disability.
After graduating summa cum laude from Utah State University she attended Pepperdine University after having been granted the Dean’s Scholarship. During the final year of her education, she relocated to Washington DC to work at Department of Justice in the Office of the Pardon Attorney. As the first full-time law clerk at the Agency, she processed a majority of the requests from federal inmates requesting an early commutation (colloquially a pardon) of their...

John Irving brings a working knowledge of all aspects of the legal process to any case or client with his extensive and eclectic legal background. In 1997, John received his undergraduate bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Shortly after graduation he began work as a fraud investigator for the City of New York. John handled thousands of cases involving welfare and housing fraud. Following this position, he was recruited to and employed the Prince William County Police Department where he exhibited his superior abilities and received several commendations and awards. After a brief time with the police department, John decided to make...

Prior to joining The Reed Law Firm, Mr. Reed graduated near the top of his class at the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. During his time at Dickinson, Mr. Reed was privileged to serve on the Board of the Dickinson Law Review in the position of Notes Editor. His work experience includes clerkships with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division and The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Mr. Reed also served as an associate at a large nationally recognized law firm for approximately six years. Mr. Reed is a member of the Virginia Bar and the Prince...

Kelly King was born and raised in Northern Virginia.  After graduating from the College of William and Mary, she then attended University of Virginia School of Law.  Upon obtaining her law degree, Ms. King first worked as a prosecutor in Central Virginia.  She quickly realized her true passion was in defending clients in need.  Ms. King worked for almost seven years at the Public Defender's Office in Loudoun County, where she handled every type of case from minor traffic offenses to First Degree Murder.  

?Ms. King now enjoys private practice, where she continues to take on all types of criminal cases and...

I represent people charged with all types of offenses in the courts of Northern Virginia. I take great pride and joy in defending people from the government.

Ms. DeFede practices primarily in the areas of education law, family law, juvenile law and criminal defense. She has represented clients in all state courts in Northern Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Supreme Court of Virginia and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Ms. DeFede has extensive litigation experience in the areas of criminal law, ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies. Likewise, she has litigated nearly every facet of family law, such as protective orders, support, custody disputes and complex equitable distribution. Ms. DeFede has also represented clients...