Kyle G. Manikas

I had a reckless driving charge and worried about the consequences. After meeting with Mr. Manikas, he reviewed the details of my case and honestly explained to me the possible outcomes of the case. I was given specific instructions to prepare for the case, and his team and I were in constant contact... throughout the process. Mr. Manikas did the hard work. He came extremely prepared and was able to get my case dismissed!

I hardly ever write reviews, but after the representation that I received from Mr. Manikas, I believe that to say his services warrants positive feedback would be a gross understatement. I was faced with two charges that would have greatly altered my life direction and put a major dent on any future... advancements in my life and my career. I was charged with a DWI 2nd offense (carries a mandatory minimum of 10 days in jail and a loss of license for 3 years with restricted driving privileges after 1.5 years) and a Refusal to Blow on a Second Offense (also a criminal charge that carries a hard loss of license for 3 years). Basically, I was facing 6 years of suspended license, two criminal charges on my record, and jail time. The prosecutor wasn't willing to offer a plea deal that was even remotely attractive, which led to my case going to trial. The trial was not only lengthy, but intense as both sides presented their arguments and examinations as well as a video of my stop and arrest. Throughout the process, Mr. Manikas not only displayed a thorough knowledge of the law, but his aggressive yet professional approach to countering not only the prosecutor but the officer as well. In the end, both charges were dismissed and I am able to move on with my life. Hiring a good lawyer may be pricey but it's worth every penny. Not only for the sake of my driving privileges and my freedom, but financially as well. By being found not guilty, I don't have to spend money on high court fines, ASAP classes, or interlock maintenance.

Kyle represented me on a particularly troublesome Reckless Driving charge in which I was going 40 mph over the posted speed limit. I had free consultations with every highly-rated attorney in the DMV area and the feedback I received was unanimous: I was going to serve time in jail. That was until... I met Kyle and his team at Manikas law. Kyle took the time to meet with me in person, review the details of my case and discuss the charge. He told me (much to my amazement, and a bit to my cynical disbelief) that he thought he could keep me from serving time. The ensuing weeks before my court date, I executed on the things Kyle told me to take care of and interacted with his staff to ensure all of my paperwork and details were in order. On the date of my court appearance, we faced an uphill battle against a strict judge substituting in from a neighboring legal district, a prosecutor under pressure to tighten up punishments on offenders like myself, and a police officer who (rightly so) was doing his job in pursuing judgment against me. Kyle quickly discerned what needed to occur during the morning of my court appearance (conversations with the police officer and prosecutor) and spent the better part of 5 hours making these conversations occur. While I waited in the atrium, he got to work understanding the prosecutor's strategy, getting a lesser charge I was facing fully dismissed, and orienting the day to move in our favor. Kyle worked out a deal with prosecutor that I never thought was possible - I had to pay a nominal fine. That's it. No license suspension, no jail time. The judge approved the settlement, and my nightmarish ordeal was over. Through the whole experience, Kyle could not have been more professional, discerning and effective in his execution. I HIGHLY recommend Kyle to anyone facing legal trouble and am so thankful that I turned to him instead of any other attorney!

My son got himself in a jam with a DWI and a refusal to take a breathalyzer; frankly, as a federal agent with thirty years experience I was of the opinion that defensively he was in a hopeless position. Though we had a few names of lawyers on our own, we began receiving promotions from attorneys onc...e my son's name appeared in the court system. I looked them over but threw them all out, except Kyle's. What caught my eye with Kyle's information was his years as a prosecutor in Fairfax, experience that I felt was critically important. Though he was most definatlely not the least expensive of the potentials we considered, once we met with him we decided he was our choice. Court date came and we were on pins and needles, the case before ours resulted in jail time for the defendent (also a young student, though over 21) so we were preparing for the worst and hope began to dwindle. As our trial began, the prosecutor attempted to lay out her case and examine the arresting officer, but was cut off repeatedly by Kyle's objections of "here say, irrelevant, conjecture, inadmissable"...and one after the other the judge sustained his objections...to my complete surprise. My son's case was unique for a DWI in that it was not actually a moving violation, rather a fender bender in a parking lot where he then went into his nearby girlfriends house before the police arrived. Kyle locked in on the issue of an illegal search, detailing how/why the arresting police officer's entry into this residence violated the basic constitutional protection against illegal search. As the prosecutor continued to attempt to advance her argument and build her case, Kyle just as adamently kept objecting to her attempts to introduce additional elements as irrelevant, because the initial entry into the residence to speak with my son was illegal. Long and interesting but the short story...the judge agreed and dismissed the case on the basis of the constitutional protection against illegal search - anything determined after that point was inadmissable. I was absolutely blown away by Kyle's defense; his performance in the courtroom was professional but aggressive, his command of the constitution's protections and law was superb and finally, his reading of the judge and prosecutor spot on. Based on my observations of the judge's reaction to Kyle's defense, I believe he was rightly impressed as well...and truth be told, I think the prosecutor learned something that day as well. Bottom line: Though slightly more expensive than his peers, Kyle Manikas will leave no stone unturned in your defense, will not promise what he can't deliver, and ensure that he has exhausted every legal option in your defense. I cannot recommend him highly enough. And honestly, I was expecting my son to be convicted and even if he had been convicted...after hearing Kyle's passionate defense in the courtroom, I would still be providing a positive review.