If you are facing federal criminal charges, it’s important to understand the role of the jury, and the full power of the jury in your federal case. This will help you understand better what to expect inside the courtroom, as well as how to work with your attorney to get a fair judgment. THE GRAND… Read More
Federal Pleas And Sentencing
Are Judges Required to Respect a Plea Agreement?
The procedures of the criminal justice system are long and complicated. That’s the very thing that makes them so expensive. When it comes to plea agreements, they aren’t just used in order to make things easier for all parties concerned, but to avoid the expense that a lengthy trial can bring. Judge Roles The short… Read More
Does Leniency Offered in Your Prior Cases Affect your Current Indictment?
If this is not the first time you’ve faced an indictment, you might be wondering whether any leniency you’ve been offered in your prior cases might affect your current indictment. There are a lot of factors to consider with this question. For example—are the current charges related to the prior charges for which you were… Read More
Could Commonwealth v. Newman Affect Your Federal Drug Case
If you’re currently facing federal drug charges, there’s a chance your attorney has mentioned a recent Pennsylvania Superior Court decision in a case called Commonwealth v. Newman. Could this ruling affect your federal drug case? Let’s break it down and discuss. Looking at The Background To understand the potential impact of Commonwealth v. Newman on… Read More
Why Was State Senator Wright Forced to Resign?
On September 15th, Democratic State Senator Roderick Wright announced that he would officially resign from office on September 22nd. Senator Wright was forced to resign as a result of being threatened with an expulsion vote. The reason he was given the decision between resignation or expulsion is because he was convicted of felony perjury and… Read More
Georgia teacher accused of federal child pornography offense
Any kind of criminal charge may lead to significant consequences. But, when it comes to allegations of child pornography, a person may face issues that do not necessarily arise with many other types of criminal allegations. The impact on person’s private life can be profound. A criminal record related to a sex offense or child… Read More
Federal circuits not routinely aligned on drug dealer sentencing
Five drug dealers in a drug-trafficking enterprise who were convicted on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin were sentenced to the same mandatory minimum 20-year prison term by a federal district judge, despite differentiated roles they played in the organization. That sentence was handed down after five people fatally overdosed on the drug. Their… Read More
Supreme Court sentencing ruling puts jury back in driver’s seat
Cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court typically cut a wide swath of relevance and applicability, and a 5-4 Court ruling issued this Monday that addressed mandatory minimum sentencing is certainly no different. In summary, the Court engaged in a major sentencing reform by overruling a decade-old case it had authored in 2002 and recommitted… Read More
Judge rejects mandatory prison term in minor’s child porn case
In what a federal judge termed “the sensible cooperation of prosecutor, defense, experts and the court to save rather than destroy an adolescent” charged with a federal crime involving child pornography, a young man was sentenced to straight probation rather than prison. Senior United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein’s May 1 sentencing order considered… Read More
New bipartisan bill focuses on federal sentencing reform
The title of a recent media piece makes no effort to hide the author’s views on mandatory minimum sentencing and the debate regarding sentencing reform where federal crimes are concerned. Mike Riggs, an editor at Reason Magazine, calls the outcome in many cases in which a defendant received a sentence based on a mandatory minimum… Read More