There is some good news this holiday season as the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, announced that he will pardon thousands of adults who were convicted as young offenders in New York. The opportunity will be available for people who were convicted of non-violent,...
Have You Been Charged With A Serious Crime?
Year: 2015
Sexual Assault Allegations on College Campuses
Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo signed the "Enough is Enough" law, aimed at addressing the perceived sexual assault problem at colleges in New York State. The main purpose of the law is to ensure the implementation of uniform responses to reports of sexual assault,...
Hope for Federal Prisoners Convicted of Drug Crimes
Sentencing for federal drug crimes has been criticized as being unduly harsh, especially for low level drug offenders. Federal sentencing guidelines have sometimes resulted in seemingly unjust high prison terms for low level non-violent offenders. Changes to the...
Seeking Employment After a Criminal Conviction
Having a criminal record can be a great barrier to obtaining gainful employment. People can be wary of hiring employees with criminal records because they do not find them trustworthy or because they are afraid that their customers would object if they knew that the...
Public Officials and Public Corruption Charges
In New York, the Office of the Attorney General's Public Integrity Bureau investigates and pursues criminal charges of public corruption, especially involving fraud, government corruption, and abuse of authority. Depending on the nature of the crime, the Federal...
Grand Jury Indictments for Federal Crimes
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution holds that in order to be charged with a capital or "otherwise infamous" crime, a person has to be indicted by a grand jury. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that this Fifth Amendment requirement is not imposed on the...
Getting Released Pending Trial
Being arrested can be a frightening experience, especially if it is happening for the first time. The bad situation can become worse if you have to spend the time awaiting your trial in jail. Due to the backlog in the court system and a variety of other reasons, it...
Federal Prosecution for Seeking Re-Entry into the United States
United States immigration policies have been scrutinized in the media in the lead up to the 2016 presidential elections. Most of the discussions have revolved around the action or inaction of the federal government when it comes to deporting people who come into the...
New York State Versus Federal Penalties for Possession of Marijuana
The legalization of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use has been on the rise nationwide for several years. Although many states have acknowledged the value in medicinal marijuana, only two have taken steps to allow the legal use of marijuana...
Cooperating With the Prosecution
The use of confidential informants in law enforcement can sometimes be a grey area that can be exploited by both the informant and the law enforcement agents involved. Becoming a confidential informant can be a way to avoid going to prison, although it may also mean...