Practice Areas - Criminal Defense - Schertler & Onorato, L.L.P.

Criminal defense work has always been an integral part of our practice. The firm's founding partners, David Schertler and Danny Onorato, began their legal careers as Federal prosecutors with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. The firm has a federal criminal practice as well as a local criminal practice and enjoys an excellent reputation in the criminal defense bar.

Federal Criminal Defense Practice

Over the years, we have represented individuals, companies and organizations in Federal courts throughout the country in investigations and prosecutions conducted by Federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. Since its inception, Schertler & Onorato has been involved in many high-profile criminal cases, including the recent WorldCom, Enron, and HealthSouth prosecutions, the investigation of Senator Robert Torricelli, the Teamsters' campaign contribution prosecution, and the investigation into payments by U.S. oil companies to Khazahkstan.

We have tremendous experience in dealing with the press in high-profile matters and have made it standard practice to deal proactively with the media to further our clients' interests. We have handled almost every conceivable type of Federal criminal case, including allegations of violations of the antitrust laws, health care fraud, government contracting fraud, obstruction of justice and false statements, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, tax evasion and other violations of the tax laws, environmental crimes, immigration and forced labor, campaign contribution violations, securities fraud and other financial crimes, conspiracy, and narcotics trafficking.

Our attorneys have actually tried dozens of cases in Federal court. Our goal in criminal matters is to bring all our skill and experience to bear in achieving the best possible result for the client, and we are well-equipped to accomplish that goal whether it involves a cooperative and diplomatic behind-the-scenes approach with law enforcement or an aggressive and staunch defense to unfair criminal allegations in the courtroom. We understand the difficulties and stresses experienced by clients facing criminal investigations and work to assist our client on every aspect to the problem.

Local Criminal Defense Practice

Schertler & Onorato’s criminal defense practice has deep roots in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and has developed to include expertise in both the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia. All of the firm’s partners spent their early careers as prosecutors in the D.C. Superior Court and have since defended numerous cases there and in the local courts of the surrounding jurisdictions. Another of the firm’s attorneys joined Schertler & Onorato following a tenure with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Schertler & Onorato has defended clients against the full spectrum of state offenses, handling cases that range in seriousness from driving while intoxicated and misdemeanor charges of theft, assault and narcotics possession to felony charges of narcotics distribution, firearms possession, felony assaults, sexual abuse and homicide. Even as the firm has grown, Schertler & Onorato remains deeply committed to its local criminal practice and will continue to be very active in each of the D.C. metropolitan area's courts.