Michael A. Taylor

I want to begin this review by thanking Mr. Michael Taylor. Without his council, I'd probably be sitting in a cell at this moment. At first, it seemed that we did not have much to work with. I was arrested for and charged with possession of marijuana, and possession with intent to distribute in the S...tate of Maryland. For those who don't know, the first charge is a misdemeanor, with a maximum punishment of one year in jail, and the second charge is a felony, with a maximum punishment of five years in jail. When I was taken into custody, my meeting with the commissioner did not go well; I was denied bond and promptly processed as an inmate. The circumstantial evidence was overbearing, due to the fact that a package that was delivered in my name, to my address, which I picked up and put in my car, contained over ten pounds of marijuana. On my second day of incarceration, I learned that every inmate that was either given an excessively high bond or totally denied bond, had the opportunity to attend a "bond hearing". It was at this hearing that I first heard the name "Mike Taylor", and at the request of my lawyer whom I haven't yet met, the judge overlooked my rap sheet and then granted me a $5,000.00 unsecured bond, allowing me to be released the following day. This was an enormous gesture, and a great first impression. The most nerve wrecking part of the incarceration is not the fact that you are there, but the fact that you don't even know how long you will have to remain. Being able to go home relieved my family and I of lots of stress, and gave us more confidence when it came to building a strategy for court. Immediately upon my release, the next stop was Mike Taylors' office. I formally met him, and we immediately began cross examining the facts and happenings that lead to my arrest. Mr. Taylor told me bluntly that the situation was a sticky one, however he also assured me that if I take certain precautions, such as: enrolling in a drug class/treatment program, getting a job, and obtaining a letter from professors and mentors testifying on my character, the presentation of the artifacts should be enough to sway the Judge's perception of me. This all took months to accomplish, but with Mr. Taylors' guidance, I was able to stay focused on accomplishing these feats. While I was doing that, he was focused on establishing a deal with the prosecutor of my case. The prosecutor was a terrible communicator, and maybe that was due to the fact that she may have seen me as an actual danger to the community. However, to my advantage, the officers involved in my arrest for some reason also did not communicate effectively with the prosecutor, which made her job hard. She ended up calling Mr. Taylor and agreeing to make a deal. I remember when he first told me the idea of coming to terms with her, and how it would be a "long shot, but worth it". To my avail, the deal was solidified. In exchange for me pleading guilty to the misdemeanor, the felony charge would be dropped. After thinking for no longer than 5 minutes, I agreed to take the offer. On the final court date, the decision making day, things turned out just as Mr. Taylor hoped for. Due to leniency from the judge which was probably inspired by the statements made on my behalf by Mr. Taylor, my mother, and staff from my school, I was in the end, granted probation before judgement. I haven't heard the best things about probation, and I was slightly intimidated by the length of the term to be served (2 years), but at least mine is unsupervised and it surely beats sitting in a cell! It's hard for me to express the gratefulness I feel towards Mr. Taylor and his expert level guidance, however the least I could do, is write this review.

Several months ago, I was caught with a high amount (135 grams) of a CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substance). Because of the high amount, my initial charges included possession with intent to distribute, a serious felony. On a friend’s recommendation, I chose Mr. Taylor as my defense attorney. When I me...t with him, he explained in great detail the possible outcomes of my situation and what actions we could take to achieve the best outcome. Mr. Taylor presented a clear and cohesive strategy throughout every step of the complex process that was my case. Whenever I need his advice on what to do or what something meant, he was there. Whenever I needed a motion to be filed, for example when I wanted to leave the area on vacation, he was there and was successful. In the month before my trial, Mr. Taylor was able to work out an incredibly favorable deal with the state that included dropping all of my other misdemeanor charges and the reduction of my felony charge to a simple misdemeanor possession charge. The requirements of the deal on my end were as minimal as they could be, such as community service, counseling, and random drug testing. Given the gravity of my offenses, I sincerely believe that this was the best possible outcome and that it could never have come about without Mr. Taylor’s constant and diligent advocacy on my behalf. I am deeply grateful for his services and I cannot recommend them more highly.