If you have been charged with a criminal offense in D.C., you will want to know: What must the government prove for a conviction? What defenses are available? What are the penalties? What can you expect when you have been charged with a criminal offense in D.C.? What happens at the arraignment, initial status hearing, etc.? Learn everything you need to know here.

Being charged with a crime - even a simple misdemeanor - can be a frightening and confusing experience. Being convicted of a crime can jeopardize a person's job, family, reputation and future. Our legal system offers a number of protections to safeguard the accused's constitutional rights.

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D.C. Crimes

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What constitutes a criminal offense in the District is spelled out in the D.C. Code. Generally, a criminal offense will require both an act (or an omission to act) and a mental state - or mens rea. In other words, it is not enough that the government needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed some act that is prohibited by law.

D.C. Rules of Evidence

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The D.C. Rules of Evidence govern the admission of evidence - testimony, documents and tangible objects - in D.C. Superior Court. Evidence is the collective mass of things that, presented before a tribunal in a given dispute, tend to prove or disprove the existence of an alleged fact. Unlike most other jurisdictions, the District of Columbia does not follow the numbering system of the Federal Rules of Evidence.

D.C. Superior Court

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D.C. Superior Court is located at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW., close to the Judiciary Square metro station on the red line and the Archives/Navy Memorial stop on the green and yellow lines. After the Court was largely closed during the pandemic, the Criminal Division has re-opened for most purposes. Additional information on legal, administrative and procedural issues for D.C. is provided below.

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