Criminal Defense

Jeffrey Light has been practicing criminal law for his entire career. He is a long-time member of the D.C. Court of Appeals Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel under which he receives appointments from the court to represent criminal defendants who wish to appeal their sentences, but cannot afford to retain a lawyer. Mr. Light has also successfully represented numerous clients at the trial level in both the U.S. District Court and the D.C. Superior Court.

Mr. Light has achieved favorable court rulings vindicating the rights of criminal defendants in many areas, including:

• Right to cross-examine the government’s chemist
• Right to self defense
• Right to a jury trial
• Right to effective assistance of counsel
• Right to a public trial
• Right against Double Jeopardy

Notable cases with published opinions include:

• Bolz v. District of Columbia (reversing conviction of Occupy DC protesters)
• Fatumabahirtu v. United States (ordering new trial where trial attorney failed to explore defense of mistaken identity)