July 2012 - Federal Criminal Law Center

Roundtable discusses prosecutorial misconduct

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 31, 2012
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A panel group of persons centrally involved in the criminal justice system recently discussed the matter of federal prosecutorial misconduct during a roundtable discussion on a PBS program with correspondent Tim O’Brien. Among those included was Joseph Digenova, a former U.S. attorney; Brendan Sullivan, who was the attorney for ex-Senator Ted Stevens in his infamous […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 27, 2012
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Here’s a question to which the answer is not uniformly agreed to and applied by federal circuit courts across the country: When a defendant appeals a trial court conviction, should the appellate court apply the law that existed at the time of trial or, if the law was changed subsequently, the law that exists at […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 24, 2012
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Identity theft is a matter of growing concern in Georgia, especially in metropolitan areas, where authorities say that fraud committed by appropriating the identity of another person is decidedly on the rise. Identity fraud is often a central element in other types of fraud cases, including bank fraud, mortgage fraud and insurance fraud. For example, […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 20, 2012
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When it comes to embezzlement, few cases in recent years seem to have garnered as much national interest as the story with a strong Georgia nexus that is currently playing out in news articles across the country. Federal authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information that will help them apprehend Aubrey Lee Price, the […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 17, 2012
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The results of the annual Investigation Mortgage Fraud Index (MFI) were announced last Friday, and Georgia is once again a solid top-10 entry. That is a dubious distinction, given that the MFI pegs higher numbers, such as Georgia’s, to increased evidence of mortgage fraud. The index, which is issued by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, an Alpharetta-based […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 13, 2012
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Harsher sentences or availment of non-trial mitigation strategies? Incarceration or treatment? The debate over how the criminal justice system at both the federal and state level should handle defendants facing drug charges has been enduring and often polarizing. Aligned on one side are proponents of ever-more stringent sentencing dictates resulting in progressively longer prison terms. […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 10, 2012
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Writers contributing to an opinion piece in Slate, the online daily news magazine, take issue with one element of our criminal justice system that they say is a “pervasive blight.” Namely, that is the imposition of bail that attends to many federal criminal charges and state crime charges Here’s the problem and central irony, they […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 6, 2012
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In a recent opinion article for CNN, Lisa Bloom, a legal analyst and author, refers to what she calls the “false dichotomy” of the United States being forced to choose only between cutting social programs or raising taxes to make our economy better. She readily points to a third choice, which she sees as obvious […]

Posted by Marcia Shein
On July 3, 2012
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Sentencing reform for juveniles convicted of serious crimes has been on the U.S. Supreme Court’s radar screen in unwavering fashion for the past several years. The rationale for the Court’s rulings in a series of cases has focused on sentencing mitigation — or at least the opportunity for judges and juries to exercise discretion that […]

Roundtable discusses prosecutorial misconduct

Focus: federal criminal appeal and post-conviction change in law

ID fraud rises dramatically in Georgia; state ranked second in 2011

Feds looking for banker in Georgia embezzlement case

Georgia again ranks high in annual Mortgage Fraud Index

One governor strongly touts mandatory drug court, treatment

Opinion: Bail clause is problematic, in need of change

Opinion: Hard look at prison system, alternatives imperative

Supreme Court: No more mandatory life sentences for juveniles