U.S. Capitol building

Attempted Battery Assault in D.C. is a “Specific Intent” Offense

Jamison Koehler Assault, Legal Concepts/Principles, Opinions/Cases

In law school and in preparing for the Bar Exam, we were taught the distinction between general intent and specific intent crimes. If it is a general intent offense, the government must prove only that the defendant intended to take the physical action that resulted in the harm; that is, that the defendant’s actions were not the result of a …

U.S. Capitol building

On Challenging a Prostitution/Sexual Solicitation Case in D.C.

Jamison Koehler Other Criminal Offenses

A couple of years ago, I was representing a client on a prostitution solicitation charge in Philadelphia. I had worked out a deferred prosecution agreement with the government according to which the assistant district attorney would postpone prosecution and then dismiss the charges against my client if he successfully completed a period of 9 months of probation. As my client …