Andrew R. Szekely
Mr. Szekely joined Lawlor & Englert, LLC after working as an Assistant Public Defender in Anne Arundel County from 2005-2008. Mr. Szekely has represented clients charged in state court with charges ranging from trespassing to murder. Mr. Szekely is experienced in representing clients in all stages of a criminal case, from an initial bond-review to the litigation of pre-trial motions to sentencing and modifications of sentence. In addition to representing clients in state court trials, Mr. Szekely also represents clients for federal trials, state post-conviction proceedings, federal habeas corpus proceedings, and state and federal appeals.
Mr. Szekely has taken many cases to trial for both misdemeanor and felony charges. His notable trial successes include: winning a case on all counts for a client wrongly accused of a first degree assault and receiving a mistrial following a hung-jury in a case where the prosecution sought three-years incarceration for this client – the client ultimately pled guilty after the mistrial and agreed to serve five weekends in jail.
Where appropriate, Mr. Szekely has negotiated favorable plea bargains for his clients. Some of these agreements have resulted in: the dismissal of felony charges; agreements to no jail time where the sentencing guidelines called for incarceration; agreements from the prosecution to allow clients to be released early from prison to obtain in-patient drug treatment; and agreements that clients should receive probation before judgment for a first offense – allowing clients to maintain a clean record.
At times, the most appropriate disposition of a case is the outright dismissal of all charges. Mr. Szekely has convinced prosecutors to do so in cases ranging from public intoxication to handgun possession to assault.
In addition to his state trial practice, Mr. Szekely also maintains a federal trial practice. He handles cases at all stages in federal court – from trials to sentencing to appeals.
Mr. Szekely also has an active state post-conviction and federal habeas corpus practice. Mr. Szekely has sought relief for clients based on a number of different claims of ineffective assistance of counsel pursuant to Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Issues he has raised include: failure to disclose evidence under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S, 83 (1953); failures to file appeals following a client’s request that one be filed; and the failure of an attorney to investigate witnesses whose testimony supported a client’s claim of innocence.
Mr. Szekely is a 2004 graduate of The George Washington University Law School. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He is a member of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney’s Association and the Maryland State Bar Association.