Recently,
Virgina Beach criminal defense attorney Vaughan C. Jones defended a client in federal court, successfully reducing
his sentence to the minimum penalty. The client was involved in a public
shootout in front of a Walmart in Hampton and the story has received vast
publicity. In the Walmart parking lot, a drug sale went south and the
men began to shoot at each other, with a total of 27 shots fired. One
man was maimed during the episode.
Once the shooting subsided the men drove away and went to a local Hampton
motel. Around 2:30 a.m. the SWAT team arrived and an eight hour standoff
ensued- fortunately, the standoff ended peacefully. One co-defendant was
given an 8 year sentence and a second offender received 19 years behind
bars. Through persuasive negotiating, Attorney Jones was able to convince
the federal prosecutors into dismissing his client's gun charges,
thereby taking five years of mandatory jail time off of his sentence.
When it was time for the final judgment, the judge kindly gave the client
a downward sentence variance, with a criminal penalty lower than the sentencing
guidelines. The court then went even further and entered the client into
a prison drug program which will reduce his sentence even further. The
client was the only defendant to receive this distinctive treatment. In
total, the client will probably serve only two years of additional time
behind bars.
This story goes to show that your choice of legal counsel can make a world
of difference for your case. The federal court was forgiving toward the
client because his attorney was experienced and knowledgeable of professional
negotiations. Attorney Vaughan C. Jones provides hard-hitting
criminal defense for alleged criminal defenders and he is dedicated to protecting the rights
of the accused. If you have been arrested for a crime, be sure to
contact a Virginia Beach criminal defense lawyer at the firm today.