Working With Criminal Lawyers in DC

I have worked with the immigration team at Benach Collopy for over twenty years. We have shared clients (criminal & immigration) and there is nobody else whose counsel on seek on these important issues. I immediately bring Ava and her team into cases that involve immigration consequences and have had exceptional results. I have seen first hand the exceptional work that Benach Collopy does and they are my first call.

-Mark E. Schamel, Venable

Ava and the team at Benach Collopy are a dream to work with. They care deeply about clients and see their concerns clearly. And they’re savvy and experienced enough with criminal law to have a strong sense of what’s possible and what’s a waste of time. They are absolutely my go to immigration lawyers.

-Matthew Kaiser, The Kaiser Firm

I worked with Ava Benach on a criminal matter involving immigration issues. It was incredibly helpful to have wise counsel on these complex matters that are outside our area of practice. Quite simply, we couldn’t have represented the client effectively without her expertise and assistance.

-Sara Kropf, Kropf Moseley

Criminal defendants who are not U.S. citizens face deportation if convicted of an “aggravated felony” or multiple “crimes involving moral turpitude.” Ava excels at spotting immigration issues that even experienced criminal practitioners might miss. In cases where a guilty plea is unavoidable, she helps to fashion creative solutions that permit defendants to remain in their adopted country after they complete their sentences. I would never handle a criminal case with potential immigration consequences without consulting Ava.

-Stuart Berman, Lerch Early & Brewer

Ava is a rock star in this area of the law – my go-to immigration lawyer when clients face criminal charges with immigration consequences. Ava has helped me navigate the complexities of that process, allowing me to successfully negotiate plea agreements that blocked deportation for clients who would likely now be banished overseas without her help.

-Law Offices of Gregory S. Smith

Working With Criminal Lawyers in DC

Getting arrested by the police is always a frightening and sobering experience. But for immigrants, the risks of conviction of crime not only include prison time, but also expulsion from the United States. The time to seek immigration counsel is the time of arrest and not when Immigration & Customs Enforcement seeks to initiate detention and deportation proceedings. While everyone knows that they should hire a criminal attorney to navigate the criminal justice system, it is important for immigrants to obtain immigration counsel to ensure that any outcome provides the immigrant with the opportunity to fight to remain in the U.S. Once a judgement is entered and finalized, immigration consequences are set and it is very hard to undo the conviction because the immigrant did not know that the disposition required detention and deportation.

Less than ten percent of criminal cases go to trial. Thus, most arrests and criminal charges result in plea deals, wherein the accused gives up the right to go to trial in exchange for pleading guilty to certain offenses and the government’s agreement to recommend a reduced prison sentence. It is likely that your arrest will be disposed of in a plea bargain and you will plead guilty to some offense.

While many offenses require detention and deportation, not all criminal convictions have immigration consequences. Thus, the time of reaching a plea agreement, is when the conviction’s immigration consequences can be minimized.

Benach Collopy lawyers work with criminal lawyers in DC and throughout the country to craft pleas that either avoid immigration consequences or preserve the immigrant’s ability to challenge removal in the immigration court. Most importantly, we work with you so that you understand the consequences of the decisions you are making. We seek to understand your goals — whether they are the least jail time, the ability to remain in the U.S., or the avoidance of immigration detention — and work with your criminal attorney to get the possible deal for you in light of your criminal and immigration goals.

Being charged with a crime is a serious and challenging time. Benach Collopy takes the time to understand your goals and works with you to get you where you want to be, whether it is avoiding removal proceedings, preserving a fighting chance to remain, or returning to your home country without lengthy detention. Call us today to learn more.