cases as well as in defense of probation and special parole violators. She has represented citizens accused of committing crimes in federal parks and on federal land. Mr. Silber has defended white collar, drug conspiracy, and RICO cases in federal court around the country including the Southern District of West Virginia (13 tons of marijuana), Hawaii (credit card fraud), Middle District of California (telemarketing fraud), Texas (money laundering), Utah (credit card fraud) Northern District of Florida (plane load of marijuana), Southern District    of Florida (boat load of marijuana) and many cases in the New York and New Jersey federal courts. Recently Mr. Silber defended a client in an eight- week trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the charge was RICO (including murder, and methamphetamine distribution). The client was acquitted on the racketeering act alleging murder, and a new trial has been ordered for those drug conspiracy counts for which acquittals were not entered.

White Collar Crime
Mr. Silber has defended white-collar criminal cases including RICO, Securities fraud, tax fraud, wire and mail fraud, health care fraud as well as counterfeiting and telemarketing fraud.  Recently he won acquittals in a 14 million dollar bank fraud case in the Eastern District of New York and successfully defended a lawyer whose representation of a client resulted in his own indictment.  Ms. Slater has been successful in defense of embezzlement, bad check, and other local white collar cases.

Drug Offenses
Ms. Slater and Mr. Silber have defended all types of drug charges from simple possession cases to sophisticated drug conspiracy charges.  Ms. Slater's police experience brings a unique aspect to the defense of drug cases, especially in the local courts of Charlottesville and with the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force (JADE).

Mr. Silber's experience in the drug law reform movement, brings a different, but also unique aspect to the defense of drug cases. He has served on the National Organization for the Reform of the Marijuana Laws (NORML) Legal Committee and Board of Directors.  He is the current Chairman of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Drug Law Reform Committee, and has been a speaker at NORML and NACDL Criminal Defense Seminars.

The firm has had success both in negotiating favorable dispositions (an alleged cocaine distributor to attend drug court) and in obtaining successful jury verdicts (plane load of marijuana in the Northern District of Florida and a boat load of marijuana in the Southern District of Florida).  In short, Silber & Slater bring a vast amount of experience and success to the arena of defense of drug charges.

DUI and Other Vehicular Offenses
Ms. Slater has also represented a broad spectrum of clients who have been charged with DUI, driving without a license, habitual offender, and other driving offenses. Her experience as a police officer has proved valuable in understanding all aspects of these cases.


Crimes Against Persons and Property
In State court, Ms. Slater defended a voluntary firefighter charged with felony arson. Ms. Slater has also successfully defended cases involving assault and battery, malicious wounding, abduction, and the use of a firearm. In a more than 35 year career, Mr. Silber has been defense counsel in almost every type of criminal case from murder to burgulary.


UVA / University Judicial Council
Ms. Slater has represented University of Virginia students charged with criminal and civil cases in the local courts and guided them through the University Judicial Council proceedings.  Mr. Silber has litigated on behalf of students charged by University of Michigan Law School and Cornell University.