The Commission voted to make the minus 2 drug amendment retroactive to all persons who have already been sentenced and whose sentence was based upon the drug quantity table (career offenders do not get relief because their sentence was based upon the career offender guideline not the drug quantity table). There are no categorical exclusions […]

Being pulled over by the police can turn into a person’s worst nightmare. After all, it is not unknown for a traffic stop in Georgia to lead to a vehicle search and potentially serious charges. A routine traffic stop recently led to three people being charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug […]

Last week we discussed the new clemency rules that the federal government has promulgated for people convicted of non-violent federal offenses. The new rules are expected to apply primarily to convictions for federal drug crimes. Despite the apparent relaxation in policy related to drug offenses that surrounds the new clemency rules, the shift does not […]

Mandatory minimum sentencing provisions under federal law have been under scrutiny in recent months. Last week, the Justice Department announced that new rules for clemency are now a reality and people convicted for non-violent federal offenses may qualify for clemency. The new rules do not grant clemency in a blanket fashion, but Obama Administration officials […]

Interstate travel is common in the United States. The interstate highway system facilitates the easy flow of traffic across state lines. But, law enforcement may often conduct traffic stops on the highway. Residents of Georgia and many other states may be accused of violating some traffic law, leading to an investigatory stop. The law places […]

There number of federal laws related to controlled substances is vast. Many stories that hit the news when it comes to a federal drug crime seem to focus on drug trafficking charges, or possession with intent concepts. But, a person may also be accused of fraud when it comes to prescription medications. Often, those accused […]

By MATT APUZZOMARCH Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is endorsing a proposal that would reduce prison sentences for people convicted of dealing drugs, the latest sign of the Obama administration’s retrenchment in the so-called war on drugs. In January, the United States Sentencing Commission proposed changing federal guidelines to lessen the average sentence for […]

From the outside, the houses look like normal residences. The inside of a “grow house” is a different matter, however. The structures have been gutted and then outfitted with sophisticated electrical systems, lighting and hydroponic gear to produce a lucrative cash crop of marijuana. Law enforcement officials about 100 miles south of Atlanta say they […]

One morning last week, federal, state and local law enforcement officers raided the Atlanta area home of former NBA player Javaris Crittenton. He was one of more than a dozen people arrested and charged with drug trafficking in a series of raids in the metro. The suspects were indicted late last week on charges including […]

According to media reports, a 55-year-old man was flying his private plane to Atlanta when authorities boarded the craft during a stop. On board, officials said, were the man’s son, the man’s son-in-law, and 72 pounds of cocaine. A grand jury recently returned an indictment against the man on federal drug charges of possession and […]