Criminal Defense

The Criminal Defense Practice Group at Silverman Thompson is widely considered one of the top criminal defense practices in Maryland. Our lawyers have represented thousands of individuals and corporate defendants at all trial and appellate levels in state and federal court. Although we are based in Baltimore, Maryland, our criminal defense lawyers regularly handle criminal cases in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and throughout the United States.

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We are Experienced

Our criminal defense team is comprised of six former state and federal prosecutors and two former felony Assistant Public Defenders. Our ranks also include the former chief judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals (our highest court) and a constitutional law expert who served as the dean of two law schools. We have over one hundred and fifty years of combined criminal trial and appellate experience.

We are Recognized

Hiring a lawyer can be a daunting task. According to the American Bar Association, there are 22,477 lawyers licensed to practice in Maryland. Throw in another 51,271 in neighboring Washington D. C. and the numbers become overwhelming. Although independent accolades should not be the end-all in hiring a law firm or criminal defense attorney, they certainly provide some degree of separation worthy of consideration. Here are some recognitions that may help you distinguish us from the masses when making a decision:

Andrew C. WhiteBrian ThompsonSteve SilvermanCreston Smith

Silverman Thompson: Top Law Firm in United States:US News & World Report

We Wrote the Book

We author several leading treatises including:

Connections Count

We are convinced that in order to be successful for our criminal clients our attorneys must be engaged in the judicial system above and beyond appearing in court everyday. As a result we take on several important roles to increase our presence in the legal community. Brian Thompson, for example, was appointed by Governor O’Malley and currently serves on the Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission

Steve Silverman was appointed by Governors of both parties and served on the Commission on Judicial Disabilities for the maximum two terms. He now actively represents Maryland judges facing disciplinary charges.

Andrew White was appointed by the Judges of the United States District Court to serve on the United States Magistrate Judge Selection Panel.

Meet Some of our Defenders

Andrew White, nationally known for his achievements as a former Assistant United States Attorney and as Special Assistant to the Whitewater Independent Counsel, is regularly retained to represent individuals and corporations throughout the United States. He also is sought after to conduct internal investigations. During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Mr. White received awards including “Federal Prosecutor of the Year” from the U.S. Secret Service, Treasury Department, FBI and International Association of Federal Crimes Investigators.

Brian G. Thompson, former Baltimore County Assistant State’s Attorney, manages the firm's state court criminal practice, which is one of the most qualified and accomplished in Maryland. Mr. Thompson is a perennial Maryland Super Lawyer in the area of criminal defense and appears in criminal court on a daily basis.

Steve Silverman is often the first choice of high-profile defendants to handle their cases due to his extraordinary trial record and experience with the media. Ranked as a top 10 criminal defense attorney in the northeast United States, Mr. Silverman’s cases have been profiled on 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, BBC and many other news organizations. He has not lost a criminal jury trial in nearly two decades.

Creston Smith, a former felony trial lawyer with the Public Defender’s Office for Baltimore City, is considered one of the most experienced and knowledgeable trial lawyers in Baltimore. He has a distinguished trial record including a string of acquittals on the most serious of charges including murder in the first degree.

Patrick Seidel is the former Chief of the Major Investigations Unit for the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office. He has tried hundreds of cases to verdict, including nearly thirty homicide cases. Mr. Seidel began his legal career as a Special Victims prosecutor in New York City.

Our Approach

Together, our experienced and talented team work to ensure the Firm's clients receive the best possible result. Silverman Thompson also devotes a full time criminal appeals lawyer and law school professor to review all cases prior to trial to expose and brief any legal and procedural errors made by law enforcement or the prosecutor.

We will aggressively attack the government's case from every possible angle. As one of Baltimore, Maryland’s largest criminal defense firms, our attorneys are experienced in defending all felonies, misdemeanors, white-collar offenses, serious traffic/DUI, appeals, forfeitures, post convictions, violations of probation, and more.

How We Can Help in the Criminal Case

We invite you to contact us or call our office at 410.385.2225 or 800.385.2243 for a complimentary consultation to see how we can make a difference for you.