Marrone, Joseph M.

Background:

I have worked both sides of the street in the Criminal Defense Field, and along the way I have developed valuable relationships from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to New York City and beyond. After completing law school at the  Georgetown University Law Center, l took my first legal job as a prosecutor in New York City, where I tried to verdict in excess of 30 jury trials, and where I continue to maintain an active and successful criminal practice in the heart of Manhattan. As a prosecutor, I was given the responsibility of prosecuting the City’s most dangerous and violent career criminals, including organized crime figures, while at the same time being asked to quarterback investigations into sensitive matters involving, for example, the discharge by police officers of their firearms resulting in death and serious injury. Following four highly successful years as an Assistant District Attorney, where I achieved the highest conviction rate after trial of anyone in the Office, I went on to form the highly successful boutique Park Avenue law firm of Wiseman, Hoffmann & Walzer.

As the founding partner of the above Park Avenue law firm, I drew on my earlier professional skills as an accountant to broaden my criminal practice beyond the criminal rackets of gambling and narcotics and the enforcement crimes that support these crime groups to the representation of white collar defendants accused of violations ranging from tax fraud to securities fraud. In the white collar arena, my clients included stock brokers, mortgage brokers, government employees, and others charged with serious financial crimes. For over twenty-five years, I have successfully defended my clients in both the Federal and State courts of New York both at the trial and the appellate level. In particular, my successful defense of cases at trial, which included an acquittal rate north of 75 percent, in matters ranging from notorious murder cases and kingpin narcotics prosecutions to multi-million dollar embezzlement schemes, was responsible for my retention to handle a variety of cases outside of New York in locales stretching from Texas to North Carolina. In 2009, I changed my primary place of residence to Maryland, and I began building a successful practice of criminal defense at both the local and federal levels in Maryland and the District of Columbia, operating out of the highly regarded and widely known offices of the Thatcher Law Firm, while maintaining an active and successful criminal defense practice in New York City. I am a member in good standing of the Bars of New York, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Approach:

Acquittal is not a dirty word. Too often defense attorneys advise their clients to make a deal with the prosecution before even learning what the evidence is against their client. I believe that the decision to hire my services along with those of the Thatcher Law Firm is a decision to at a minimum push the prosecution to establish that they have a case before even considering a plea bargain. We don’t just rely on what the prosecution turns over, we utilize our network of experienced investigators to dig up what the Government does not want us to know. The result is that our clients are fully informed before making the critical, life-changing decision to either accept a plea or go to trial. If the decision is to go to trial, you will have the confidence of knowing that you will be represented by an attorney who has tried well in excess of 100 criminal jury trials to verdict—the vast majority of which successfully. At the Thatcher Law firm, while the ultimate decision is always yours, we will honestly assess your chances no matter what the circumstances may be. You are our only client and sole concern—not the prosecutor, the judge or the press—we do what is right for you.

Philosophy:

First and foremost, the Firm is honest with our clients, whether it involves legal fees, or what you can expect as an outcome of your case. Just as important, we listen to our clients and respect their wishes and needs. At the Thatcher Law Firm, we recognize just how devastating it is when you are charged with a crime, and the Firm makes every effort to quickly establish control of your case, whether that involves moving expeditiously to obtain reasonable bail, or whether it involves immediately establishing rapport and communication with the prosecution. Additionally, we seek to lift the veil of mystery from the legal process. You deserve to know exactly what is going on with your case, and we make every effort to keep you fully informed. Finally, while our experienced attorneys will advise you on what we believe is the best course of action, the final decision is always yours to make, and we will not only honor your decision, we will respect it.

Workers’ Compensation:

In addition to my criminal practice, I also have an active practice in the area of workers’ compensation defense. The trial skills that I learned as an Assistant District Attorney and criminal defense attorney serve me well as an advocate in front of the Workers’ Compensation Commission. I am well-versed in all of the areas of workers’ compensation law and regularly appear before the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission.