Twenty years in the courtrooms of Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia — homicide, violent crime, drug prosecutions in state and federal court. When the stakes are highest, who you hire matters.
Jesse handles cases across the full range of criminal charges — DUIs, drug charges, complicated homicide prosecutions — and everything in between. No matter what charges the government is bringing, Jesse will defend you through every phase of the case.
From arraignment through trial — challenging the stop, the field sobriety test, the breathalyzer, and raising every viable defense.
Jesse has defended clients charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, carjacking, robbery, and various forms of assault. Jesse has taken these cases to trial as well as handled numerous high-stakes plea negotiations.
Mail and wire fraud, government contracting fraud, financial crimes, and federal investigations. Jesse has represented numerous clients in these factually complex matters.
Federal and state CSAM charges require a lawyer who understands digital evidence, chain of custody, and how to challenge search and seizure. Jesse has handled these cases.
Possession, distribution, trafficking, conspiracy. These cases often present Fourth Amendment challenges and require diligent investigation. Jesse has handled these cases and is prepared to do what is needed for the defense of these charges.
From misdemeanor sexual abuse to first-degree sexual assault (rape) — these cases require specialized knowledge to defend. Jesse has represented clients in these types of cases for years. He has professional relationships with experts, such as DNA scientists, who are often needed to represent clients facing these charges.
Few attorneys in this market have accumulated the depth of trial experience Jesse brings to his cases. Most criminal defense lawyers see the inside of a courtroom a handful of times a year.
Jesse Winograd earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005, where he served as an Articles and Notes Editor for the Georgetown American Criminal Law Review — a distinction reflecting both his scholarly rigor and his early commitment to criminal law.
He launched his career at the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office, one of the most demanding and highly regarded criminal defense training programs in the country. The Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office is nationally recognized for its volume of serious felony cases and the depth of trial experience it provides — attorneys there handle violent felonies and complex cases at a pace few offices in the nation match. Jesse emerged from that experience a trial lawyer.
He then joined Trout Cacheris & Janis PLLC, one of Washington's premier litigation boutiques, before becoming a Partner at Gowen Silva & Winograd PLLC — a firm built around the conviction that effective criminal defense requires lawyers who are genuinely prepared to try a case.
Jesse's experience in criminal defense is among the more extensive of any private criminal defense attorney in the area. He has defended clients charged with the full range of criminal offenses — navigating complex forensic evidence, eyewitness identification challenges, and prosecutorial overreach with the kind of preparation and composure that only decades of trial work can produce.
Jesse is appointed by multiple courts under the Criminal Justice Act to represent individuals facing serious charges. Courts don't hand out these appointments casually. It's a recognition of courtroom credibility that you can't manufacture.
Every case gets prepared as if it's going to trial. That preparation is what produces results — in the courtroom and at the negotiating table.
A confidential conversation about the charges, the facts, and what a realistic defense looks like.
Pulling discovery, analyzing the evidence, identifying constitutional problems, finding witnesses — before the prosecution gets comfortable with their case.
An honest read on the evidence, then negotiation — hard negotiation — or a full trial posture, depending on what the situation calls for.
If the case goes to trial, Jesse has the experience to try it — cross-examining witnesses, challenging the government's evidence, and presenting the defense to a judge or jury.
If you or someone you care about has been charged with a crime in Washington, D.C. or Northern Virginia, reach out. The first conversation is free and confidential.