Criminal and DUI Defense in Washington, D.C. | Koehler Law

Criticizing trial court, Court of Appeals reverses gun convictions

Jamison Koehler — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:19:20 +0000

The D.C. Court of Appeals recently reversed four firearm convictions after concluding that police lacked reasonable articulable suspicion to stop the defendant. But Johnson v. United States, No. 24-CF-0525 (D.C. Sept. 3, 2026), is notable for another reason. Writing for a unanimous three-judge panel in her typically understated way, Judge Catharine Easterly criticized the trial court’s handling of the defendant’s motion ...

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Another win in D.C. Superior Court anti-stalking order (ASO) trial

Jamison Koehler — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:17:47 +0000

Koehler Law prevailed yesterday at another trial in the Domestic Violence Division of D.C. Superior Court. The court denied an anti-stalking order (ASO) petition filed against our client, who was the respondent in the case. Angry or Offensive Words May Be Protected by the First Amendment The parties were neighbors whose backyards abutted each other. Their dogs were the primary ...

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Simple assault charge dismissed in D.C. Superior Court

Jamison Koehler — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:38:00 +0000

The government recently dismissed a simple assault charge against a Koehler Law client in Washington, D.C. The dismissal came after the defense produced evidence supporting our client’s claim that he had acted in self-defense. Our client, an 86-year-old man, had been accused of pushing a much younger woman who approached him with a camera during a political demonstration on the ...

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Respondent in CPO case awarded attorney fees in D.C.

Jamison Koehler — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:58:09 +0000

A Koehler Law client was recently reimbursed for his attorney fees after prevailing as the respondent in a civil protection order (CPO) case in Washington, D.C. The court awarded fees after concluding that the petitioner had brought the case in bad faith, fabricated evidence, and committed perjury at trial. The “American Rule” for Attorney Fees Under the so-called “American Rule,” ...

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D.C. jury acquits Koehler Law client of CPWL

Jamison Koehler — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:04:06 +0000

A D.C. jury recently acquitted a Koehler Law client of carrying a pistol without a license (CPWL) and other firearm offenses. According to the evidence presented at trial, our client found an abandoned firearm in an alley near the shopping mall where he worked. He picked up the gun intending to turn it over to the police. Before he could ...

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“True Threats” and Stalking in Rokhvand v. Herzfeld

Jamison Koehler — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:47:38 +0000

The D.C. Court of Appeals recently clarified what constitutes a “true threat” for purposes of the District’s stalking statute. In Rokhvand v. Herzfeld, 2026 D.C. App. LEXIS 302 (D.C. Aug. 27, 2026), the court held that hostile or offensive political speech does not become a true threat merely because it causes fear or distress. What constitutes a criminal threat in D.C.? ...

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Why settle a civil protection or anti-stalking order case in D.C.?

Jamison Koehler — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:07:17 +0000

The petition for a civil protection order (CPO) against a Koehler Law client was dismissed recently after the parties reached an out-of-court settlement. Our client no longer faces the legal, social and other consequences posed by a court-enforceable civil protection order (CPO). And the petitioner received the assurances she needed to feel comfortable. WHAT IS A CIVIL PROTECTION ORDER IN D.C.? ...

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D.C. Court dismisses petition for anti-stalking order

Jamison Koehler — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:56:28 +0000

People seek anti-stalking orders (ASOs) in Washington, D.C. for many different reasons. Some petitions involve conduct that legitimately falls within the protections provided by the ASO statute. Others arise from interpersonal disputes that, while frustrating or upsetting, do not satisfy the statutory requirements for stalking. For example, a person may seek an anti-stalking order because of problems with a neighbor, ...

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Crowded dockets delay CPO and ASO hearings in D.C.

Jamison Koehler — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:00:45 +0000

Presiding over civil protection order (CPO) and anti-stalking order (ASO) cases is one of the most demanding assignments for D.C. Superior Court judges. Each morning, parties begin logging on at 8:30 a.m. The calendar typically includes 20 to 40 cases. Two judges—currently Judge McCabe in Courtroom 113 and Judge Truong in Courtroom 114—must move through that crowded docket while dealing ...

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Willful blindness in the reflecting pool cases

Jamison Koehler — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:21:48 +0000

At some point, there will be a reckoning. The reckoning may be a public one: Lawyers hauled before the D.C. bar to face potential disciplinary proceedings. It may also be a purely private reckoning. It may be looking into the mirror and asking oneself the question: Am I proud of how I acted during this time? ***** On June 20, ...

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