Mehdi Essmidi

Before hiring our law firm, our client, DP, was in a difficult situation. They had been arrested and accused of trafficking methamphetamine, and the SDNY US Attorney’s Office claimed to have audio and video recordings of the transactions. Their previous attorney had urged them to cooperate, but DP maintained their innocence.

We took on the case and immediately began reviewing the evidence. After several meetings with DP, it became clear that the evidence presented by the US Attorney’s Office lacked consistency and reliability. We requested additional records of the investigation and steps taken before DP’s arrest.

Through our thorough investigation, we discovered that the cooperating witness, whose testimony was the cornerstone of the case, had been stealing both drugs and money from the agents. The case against DP relied entirely on this witness, and as soon as the AUSA learned we were prepared for trial, they had no choice but to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.

Thanks to our hard work and persistence, DP was freed, and their innocence was finally acknowledged.

DH was driving home from a birthday party and became tired. DH decided to pull over at a gas station for coffee or tea. Just as DH pulled over police activated their lights and sirens. DH was accused of being drunk while operating a vehicle. DH does not drink alcohol at all. The police arrested DH and left DH’s child at the gas station after confiscating the vehicle. The child was abandoned at 1 am at a gas station.

I was brought into the case just after the matter was scheduled for trial. I realized that the prosecution failed to meet the requirements for legal readiness and after oral argument the Court dismissed a charge on the complaint. The prosecution conceded that the their accusatory instrument was facially insufficient.

I drafted and filed a motion to dismiss the case for violating the state’s speedy trial statute. The court held the motion and insisted that the trial should begin.

At trial the jury saw that the client was clearly not intoxicated and the officer’s testimony was not credible. The jury found the client not guilty of all criminal charges and the judge made a statement acknowledging that the client was not intoxicated. DH was proven innocent.

Our client, AG, was accused of a serious crime – inappropriately touching a patient during an exam. Despite inconsistent statements and a delayed report to the police, the Manhattan Special Victim’s Unit arrested and charged AG. As AG’s attorney, I challenged the prosecution’s evidence, built a strong defense, and demanded a trial. I provided critical discovery and reports that disproved the prosecution’s case. Additionally, I challenged the prosecutor’s failure to provide proper evidence under automatic discovery laws and filed legal motions that the court accepted, proving that the prosecution had failed to meet their burden of proof, violating AG’s speedy trial rights.

Through tireless effort and dedication, I was able to prove that the prosecution could not present a credible witness, and as a result, the charges against AG were dismissed. This outcome allowed my client to move on from this devastating situation with their reputation and livelihood restored.

Our client, JA, was accused of assaulting a woman on a city bus. JA was suspended and publicly humiliated. The prosecution used the prolonged delays of Covid to keep the case going for more than a year. They wanted to send JA to jail and label them a sex offender in the press.

We petitioned for the proper discovery and investigated the allegations to show that the complainant lacked credibility. We pushed the prosecution towards trial until they dismissed the criminal charges against the client.

Our client TK was accused of firing a gun into a party and injuring two people, which led to charges of reckless endangerment and attempted murder.

When we took on the case, we immediately began to investigate the allegations against our client. We discovered that the prosecution had no eyewitness or forensic evidence and the circumstances of the allegations had changed several times. We were confident in our client’s innocence and proceeded to a 180.80 hearing, which the prosecution failed to survive.

Our client was released, but the prosecution continued to pressure them into taking a plea deal using the threat of indictment. We continued to fight for their innocence and eventually, all charges were dropped, and our client was able to put this ordeal behind them.

Our client M was working as an interstate truck driver when he accidentally entered a secured area in JFK airport with a legal firearm in his truck’s lockbox. Despite not seeking to enter the secure location, he was arrested for criminal possession of a firearm in the second degree and faced a potential prison sentence of three years. This conviction could have also resulted in his deportation.

We conducted extensive research on the legality of the conviction and the right to carry a firearm through interstate commerce. We provided evidence that our client had a legal right to carry and rebutted the DA’s claim that our client was smuggling the gun.

As a result, all penal code and felony charges were dropped against our client, and he was released after paying a fine. Now he is a US citizen and is living his life happily without further fear that he will be taken away from his wonderful family and friends.

When JB was falsely accused of intending to unlawfully use a legal firearm, we were there to fight. We knew that JB’s reputation and future were at stake.

JB’s situation began when they threatened to take their life with a firearm from NJ. When the NYPD broke down the door, JB was forced to give up the firearm. But because they owned the gun legally and had no intent to use it unlawfully, the case against JB had no grounds.

In court, the DA’s office argued that JB could be a danger to society, but we were able to prove otherwise. We submitted evidence and support to the court, which was eventually accepted by both the DA and the judge.

As a result, all criminal charges against our client were dropped. JB is now able to move on with their life, free from the negative stigma of these baseless accusations.

Our client L.S. was a legal gun owner who found themselves in a difficult situation when their partner was stabbed in their home. When LS sought police assistance, they were accused of possessing a weapon and were arrested on charges of gun possession. The weapon was legally purchased out of state, was not loaded with bullets, and was secured.

We argued against the circumstances of the arrest and the legality of the search. We provided strong evidence in support of the legality of the weapon and the basis for our client’s innocence.

As a result of our legal efforts, all criminal charges were dropped. LS was restored to a clear record and was able to move forward with their life.

Our client, AM, was facing charges for defrauding medicare and medicaid programs through pharmacies. The client was rearrested while on pretrial release for a healthcare fraud case in which AM was accused of stealing more than five million dollars. In the new case AM was accused of stealing another two million dollars in the same manner.

We negotiated a reasonable plea agreement that would give AM the ability to avoid decades in prison. Additionally, we spent weeks gathering personal information and mitigating arguments to be used in AM’s sentencing submission. Even though the government was seeking a guidelines sentence of nine or more years in prison, we were working to get a sentence below the guidelines range. We submitted a sentencing submission that made convincing arguments for downward variances and covid-19 variances. The court credited the submission and adopted all of our arguments in sentencing AM.

As a result, AM was sentenced to just 78 months of prison time. The client and the family were relieved that the sentence was meaningful reduced below the guidelines range.