Ms. Victoria Valencia Washington
DeSoto County Circuit Courts
Attorney Victoria V. Washington is the founder and owner of The Washington Law Firm PLLC in Southaven, Mississippi. She serves clients throughout north Mississippi. Ms. Washington has invaluable insight into the criminal justice system and understands how a criminal accusation or personal injury can affect you. She experienced her brother's wrongful conviction in 2003 and a near-death car crash in 2016, which fuel her passion for her clients.
Licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi since 2014, Ms. Washington has represented criminal defendants in juvenile, circuit, municipal and federal courts, securing many favorable settlements, case dismissals, and not-guilty verdicts in cases related to DUIs, murder, aggravated assault, drug offenses, domestic violence, and theft.
In her personal injury practice, she has successfully represented Mississippi residents who were injured in slip-and-falls, car accidents, truck accidents, and more. She also assists clients with civil rights litigation and transactional matters.
Ms. Washington earned her bachelor’s degree in English/Pre-Law from Tougaloo College. Before law school, she worked as a teacher in the Jackson Public School District, served as a head girl's basketball and volleyball coach, and interned with The Committee on Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. She then returned to MS to attend The University of Mississippi School of Law to obtain her Juris Doctor degree.
Her accomplishments during her legal career include many awards and honors, including being voted as the president of the Northwest Young Lawyers Division of The Mississippi Bar and chosen as a Rising Star-Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense. Ms. Washington is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, the National College for DUI Defense, and the National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers. She also serves as an ad hoc attorney on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel in the federal district courts of North Mississippi.
- DUI & DWI
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Traffic Tickets
- Suspended License
- Juvenile Law
- Civil Rights
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Discrimination, Employment, Police Misconduct
- Appeals & Appellate
- Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Contingent Fees
- Mississippi
- The Mississippi Bar
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- English
- Public Defender - (Part-time)
- DeSoto County Circuit Courts
- - Current
- * Represent indigent criminal defendants in appointed cases in DeSoto County Circuit Courts under Honorable Judge Gerald Chatham * Conduct interviews, investigate all cases, attend arraignments, draft pleadings, argue revocations, negotiate pleas, participate in bond hearings, review warrants and affidavits to determine probable cause, argue motions for pre-trial, file and argue motions to suppress, and conduct trials * Prepare law, client, and witnesses for sentencing.
- Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panelists
- Northern District Federal Courts
- - Current
- * Represent indigent criminal defendants in federal courts * Calculate federal sentencing guidelines in each case, draft sentencing memorandum, briefs, review presentence reports, and prepare argument for bond, preliminary, and sentencing hearings • Handle federal trials in Northern District Courts of Mississippi
- Owner and Attorney
- The Washington Law Firm, PLLC
- - Current
- Parent Defender
- Greenville Youth Court
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- * Represented parents in Youth Court * Investigated CPS matters to assist parents in maintaining their parental rights.
- Parent Defender
- DeSoto County Youth Courts
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- * Represent Parents in DeSoto County Youth Court * Investigated CPS allegations to assist parents in protecting and maintaining their parental rights
- Associate Attorney
- Perry Griffin, P.C.
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- *Represented criminal defendants against charges in youth, municipal (city), justice, and circuit courts ranging from DUI to felony possessions. Clients were granted dismissals in cases such as: manslaughter, assault on police officer, domestic violence, simple possession, DUI (First and Second Offenses), stalking, theft, and embezzlement; * Represented convicted individuals in appellate courts on direct appeal and Post-Conviction Relief, including 585 Petitions by drafting appellate briefs to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Mississippi Supreme Court; * Assisted convicted individuals with clearing their criminal records by hosting annual expungement clinics; * Litigated personal injury cases from inception to termination, while communicating with client at all times; Personal injury cases included: slip and fall, trucking accidents, MS lemon law cases, car wrecks, dog bites, etc; and * Litigated § 1983 civil rights actions for both civilian plaintiffs and defendant officers.
- Judicial Law Clerk
- Sixth Judicial Circuit Court District
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- * Researched legal information for current or upcoming pre-trial and trial proceedings; * Prepared judicial opinions, legal documents, bench memoranda, and briefs on legal issues before the court; * Conferred with judge concerning legal questions, construction of documents, and granting orders; and * Updated judge on handed down opinions from the Mississippi high courts and the United States Supreme Court
- University of Mississippi School of Law
- J.D. (2013) | Law
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- Honors: - Criminal Law Certification - Winner of the Steen, Reynolds, and Dalehite Moot Court Competition - Semi-Finalist in the Copeland Cook Moot Court Competition - Semi-Finalist in the American Association for Justice Regional Mock Trial Competition
- Activities: - Dean’s Leadership Council - LexisNexis Certified Legal Researcher - Mississippi Association For Justice - Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity - University of MS School of Law's Trial Advocacy Board
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- Tougaloo College
- B.A. (2008) | English/Pre-Law
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- Activities: - Vice President of Alpha Chi National Honors Society - Captain of Ladies Basketball and Cross Country Teams - Chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated - Publicity Chair and Charter Member of - - Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity - Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Society - Sigma Tau Delta National Honors English Society
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- The Elite Lawyer Award
- Elite Lawyer
- Fellow/Leadership Award
- Mississippi Bar's Leadership Forum
- Rising Star/Super Lawyer- Criminal Defense
- Thompson and Reuters
- Top 40 Under 40 – Mississippi
- National Black Lawyers (NBL)
- UNCF Service and Leadership Award
- Rust College
- American Association for Justice
- Current
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- Magnolia Bar Association
- Current
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- National Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- Current
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- National College for DUI Defense
- Current
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- The American Bar Association
- Current
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- The Mississippi Public Defenders Association
- Current
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- The University of Mississippi School of Law's Diversity Committee
- Current
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- Women in the Profession Committee of the Mississippi Bar
- Current
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- Academy of Truck Accident Association
- - Current
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- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
- - Current
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- President of The Northwest MS Young Lawyers Division
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- Rust College UNCF Pageant, Holly Springs, MS
- Mississippi Public Defender Fall Conference---Connecting with the Client, Biloxi, MS
- Criminal Law
- University of MS School of Law
- Website
- The Washington Law Firm, PLLC
