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No place is a good place for a robbery.  However, Diavonte Barlow, may have picked the absolute worst place — right in front of the Arlington County Jail! According to Arlington police, Mr. Barlow asked a passerby for money.  When the victim said he didn’t have any, Mr. Barlow allegedly ran after the man and hit him in the face.  He was arrested and charged with Attempted Robbery and Assault and Battery. Question:  How does

A person usually cannot withdraw his guilty plea absent a very good reason.  As a recent case shows, the fact that a judge rejects a sentencing recommendation embedded in a plea bargain is not a “good reason.”  This case is a good illustration of the fact that there are different forms of plea agreements — ones that are binding on a court and ones that are not.  Defendants should definitely understand and appreciate the differences.

Despite the fact that Arlington County is a bustling urban county, located across a river from Washington, D.C., the legal culture has a small-town feel.  Prosecutors and active criminal defense attorneys are relatively few in number here.  They have an adversarial relationship in court, as they must, but tend to respect each other and even like each other.  It is not uncommon for a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer to argue passionately and aggressively on