Mr. SrisOwner & Founder · Former Prosecutor
Est. 1997 · VA · MD · DC · NJ · NY
A felony charge changes what is at stake before it changes anything else.
Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. was founded in 1997 and defends felony matters in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. Where a case involves conduct, witnesses, or prior records in more than one of those states, the file is handled inside one firm rather than handed across three.
Toll-free intake line staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Attorney consultations are scheduled by appointment. Calling the intake line does not create an attorney-client relationship.
§ 01 — Why a felony is structurally different
Most people arrested on a felony charge think first about jail. That is rarely the part that lasts longest.
A felony conviction is a status, not just a penalty. In Virginia, a person convicted of a felony may not lawfully possess a firearm — that disability is codified at Va. Code § 18.2-308.2 as a Class 6 felony in its own right, which means a later possession charge is a new prosecution, not a probation violation. Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) attaches a firearms disability even to certain misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. The collateral consequences continue outward from there: professional licensure, security clearance eligibility, immigration status, housing applications, and the disclosure box on every employment form.
That is why the early decisions in a felony case are not interchangeable with the early decisions in a traffic or misdemeanor case. A plea that resolves the immediate exposure can create a permanent one. A charge reduced from felony to misdemeanor is not a partial result — in many files it is the entire result.
“The question in a felony file is never only what happens this year. It is what the record says in ten.”
§ 02 — Felony matters we defend
We take felony work in the categories below, in the courts where our counsel are admitted. We decline matters outside our practice areas rather than stretch to fit them.
Murder and manslaughter, malicious wounding, robbery, abduction, and assault charges elevated by prior record or by the identity of the complaining witness.
Robbery — Va. Code § 18.2-58 · abduction by force, intimidation, or deception — Va. Code § 18.2-47 (Class 5 felony).
Grand larceny, embezzlement, false pretenses, forgery, identity theft, and burglary. Virginia grades larceny by value, which makes the valuation evidence the fight in many of these files.
Grand larceny — Va. Code § 18.2-95 ($1,000 or more) · petit larceny — Va. Code § 18.2-96 (Class 1 misdemeanor) · embezzlement — Va. Code § 18.2-111.
Possession with intent to distribute, distribution, and trafficking. Since the Virginia Cannabis Control Act, simple possession by an adult 21 or older is no longer the offense it once was — but distribution and quantity-driven charges remain felonies.
Va. Code § 18.2-248 · 21 U.S.C. § 841 · Va. Code § 4.1-1100.
Possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a felony, discharging a firearm at an occupied dwelling or vehicle, and concealed weapon charges that escalate on repeat.
Va. Code § 18.2-308.2 · § 18.2-279 (Class 4 felony) · § 18.2-308.
Rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, indecent liberties with a child, and child pornography matters. Conviction in this category can trigger registration under the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act.
Va. Code §§ 18.2-61, 18.2-67.1, 18.2-67.2, 18.2-67.3, 18.2-370, 18.2-374.1 · 18 U.S.C. § 2252 · registry — Va. Code § 9.1-901.
Mail fraud, tax evasion, obstruction, and federal drug and firearms counts. Federal practice runs on a different clock, a different discovery regime, and a different sentencing architecture than any state docket.
18 U.S.C. § 1341 · 26 U.S.C. § 7201 · 18 U.S.C. § 1503.
Some offenses begin as misdemeanors and become felonies by history rather than by conduct. Assault and battery against a family or household member is a Class 1 misdemeanor on a first offense and a Class 6 felony on a third conviction. Stalking follows the same pattern. Obstruction of justice is generally a Class 1 misdemeanor but rises to a Class 5 felony where a threat is involved. Prior-record analysis is therefore part of the first conversation, not the last.
Va. Code § 18.2-57.2 · § 18.2-60.3 · § 18.2-460.
Statutory citations above are to Virginia law and federal law and are provided for general information. Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York classify and grade offenses under their own codes — New Jersey, for example, under the Code of Criminal Justice at N.J.S.A. Title 2C, which grades indictable crimes by degree. Nothing on this page is legal advice about any particular case.
§ 03 — Where the felony line actually falls
People arrive at this firm holding a piece of paper they cannot read. A warrant says “larceny.” A summons says “assault.” Neither word tells you whether you are facing a felony.
In Virginia, the difference between grand larceny and petit larceny is a dollar figure — $1,000 — and the value the Commonwealth attaches to the property is an evidentiary question, not a fixed fact. Simple assault and battery is a Class 1 misdemeanor; the same physical act against a protected class of complainant, or with a prior record behind it, is charged differently.
That gap is where much of the useful work in a criminal file happens. Establishing that the charge as written does not match the conduct as proved is not a technicality. It is the difference between a record that closes doors and one that does not.
Virginia also provides a first-offender disposition under Va. Code § 19.2-303.2, a deferred disposition available for certain misdemeanor charges. Eligibility is narrow and jurisdiction-specific, and no one should assume it applies to their matter without counsel reviewing the file.
§ 04 — Five jurisdictions
Criminal exposure does not respect a state line. A prior conviction in Maryland changes the sentencing picture in Virginia. A protective order entered in New Jersey follows a defendant into New York. Our bar admissions are listed below; in each state, our counsel appear in the courts where they are admitted.
General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District, and Circuit Courts across the Commonwealth, including preliminary hearings, grand jury proceedings, and felony trials.
District and Circuit Courts statewide, with counsel including Kristen M. Fisher, Of Counsel, a Former Maryland Assistant State's Attorney.
D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals, on one of the most procedure-driven benches in the country.
Superior Court Law Division — Criminal Part, Municipal Courts, and the Appellate Division, under the Code of Criminal Justice at N.J.S.A. Title 2C.
Supreme, County, Criminal, and City Courts throughout the state, including the five boroughs and upstate venues.
§ 05 — The founding attorney
Owner and Founder · Former Prosecutor
Mr. Sris is a former prosecutor. He founded Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. in 1997 and has practiced continuously since. He is admitted in five U.S. jurisdictions — Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York.
In 2019, Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of HB 635 (chief patron Del. David Bulova). Bill history is searchable on the Virginia Legislative Information System at lis.virginia.gov.
Time spent charging cases informs how a file is read from the other side. A former prosecutor knows which parts of a case file the Commonwealth or the State treats as load-bearing, and which parts were assembled to fill a form.
§ 06 — Every attorney other than Mr. Sris serves in an Of Counsel capacity with Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. Assignment is made based on the matter, the court, and the bar where counsel must be admitted.
Individual attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states.
§ 07 — How a felony file moves
The toll-free intake line at (888) 437-7747 is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, because arrests do not schedule themselves. Intake logs the matter, confirms there is no conflict, and identifies the charging jurisdiction and the next court date.
The file is routed to an attorney admitted in the charging jurisdiction and experienced in the charge type. Consultations are scheduled by appointment, in English, Spanish, Tamil, French, or Portuguese.
Counsel reviews the warrant or indictment against the statute actually charged, the prior record, and any enhancement the record could support. This is where a felony grading is tested rather than assumed.
Discovery review, suppression and dismissal motions where the record supports them, and an assessment of the realistic dispositions available in that court. No attorney at this firm predicts an outcome, and none should.
Some felony files resolve. Some are tried. The decision belongs to the client, made on counsel's advice, with the collateral consequences on the table before anything is signed.
§ 08 — Our locations
The toll-free intake line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at (888) 437-7747. In-person meetings at any location are by appointment.
| Jurisdiction | Location | Address | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia · HQ | Fairfax | 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032 | By appointment only · (703) 636-5417 |
| Virginia | Richmond | 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Room 395, Richmond, VA 23225 | By appointment only · (804) 201-9009 |
| Virginia | Ashburn | 20130 Lakeview Center Plaza, Room 403, Ashburn, VA 20147 | By appointment only · (571) 279-0110 |
| Virginia | Arlington | 2611 S Clark St Ste 600, Arlington, VA 22202 | By appointment only · (703) 589-9250 |
| Virginia | Woodstock | 505 N Main Street, Suite 103, Woodstock, VA 22664 | By appointment only · (888) 437-7747 |
| Maryland | Rockville | 2275 Research Blvd 5th floor suite 3, Rockville, MD 20850 | By appointment only · (888) 437-7747 |
| New Jersey | Tinton Falls | 44 Apple Street, 1st Floor, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 | By appointment only · (609) 983-0003 |
| New York | Buffalo | 50 Fountain Plaza, Suite 1400, Buffalo, NY 14202 | By appointment only · (838) 292-0003 |
| Colombia · Int'l | Pereira | Carrera 7 # 18-80, Oficina 606, Edificio Centro Financiero, Pereira, RDA, Colombia | Colombia Practice · By appointment only |
The Pereira location houses the firm's Colombia Practice. Attorneys there are licensed and regulated in the Republic of Colombia, advise on Colombian law only, and are not admitted to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction. For U.S. criminal matters, contact the U.S. practice at (888) 437-7747.
§ 09 — Start the conversation
If you have been charged, arrested, or contacted by an investigator about a felony matter in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, or New York, request a consultation. Bring the paperwork you were given — the warrant, the summons, the bond order, the property receipt. What it says on its face determines a great deal about what comes next.
Staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Consultations by appointment.
Request a consultationCalling the intake line does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Frequently asked questions
A felony is the more serious classification and carries the possibility of a longer term of incarceration along with lasting civil consequences, including firearm restrictions and disclosure obligations. In Virginia, some offenses are graded by value or circumstance — grand larceny under Va. Code § 18.2-95 reaches theft of $1,000 or more, while petit larceny under Va. Code § 18.2-96 is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York use their own classification schemes. Whether a specific charge is a felony depends on the statute charged and the facts alleged, and should be reviewed with counsel.
Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles criminal matters in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. Individual attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states. A matter is assigned to counsel admitted in the charging jurisdiction.
Yes. The toll-free intake line at (888) 437-7747 is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Intake staff log the matter and confirm conflicts. Attorney consultations are then scheduled by appointment with counsel whose bar admission and case experience fit the matter.
Bring every document you were given at arrest or service — the warrant or indictment, the summons, the bond or release order, any property receipt or inventory, and any correspondence from an investigator or prosecutor. If you have a prior criminal record in any state, tell counsel about it at the first meeting, because prior history can change how a current charge is graded.
No. A charge is an allegation, and the classification on a warrant is not the classification a court must ultimately apply. Charges are amended, reduced, dismissed, or tried depending on the evidence and the procedural posture. No outcome can be predicted, and no attorney at this firm will predict one for you.
No. Case results described anywhere on this site are examples of past matters and are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of any other matter. Every case is different, and the outcome depends on factors unique to that case. Results may vary. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case.
