When a sexual assault on a college campus is reported and an accused named, it can have far-reaching effects for both the victim and the accused. Unfortunately, the investigations surrounding campus sexual assaults have been criticized as being both unfair to the...
Have You Been Charged With A Serious Crime?
Year: 2015
New York State Police Wind Down Drunk Driving Campaign
Labor Day weekend can mean more than a welcome break from work with a three day weekend of relaxing with friends and family; it can also mean an increased chance of being arrested for driving while intoxicated. New York State police and local police departments across...
University Students May Soon Receive Additional Rights When Faced With Disciplinary Action
College students at any institution in America are fully aware that a disciplinary hearing facilitated by a university is nothing to joke about. Not only can a student potentially be expelled or suspended, but the stigma that goes along with being the subject of a...
Second Circuit: Drug Buyer Not Automatically Part of Drug Distribution Conspiracy
Federal drug allegations are serious matters. Many federal drug prosecutions involve potential mandatory minimum prison terms that require convicted drug offenders to spend a minimum amount of time behind bars. One of the most serious types of drug-related convictions...
Could Built-in Alcohol-Sensing Technologies Be Coming to All Vehicles?
All drivers know that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much is a bad idea. Many individuals have had the experience of getting into the driver's seat of a car or truck and asking themselves, "Am I good to drive, right now?" Some drivers will...
Federal Sentencing Laws May Soon Be Changing
Being investigated, prosecuted, and convicted by a federal court is never a pleasant experience. The long and drawn-out process can wear a person down without ever having a prison sentence imposed on them. But the real anguish comes at sentencing, when a convicted...
Justice Department Seeks to Prevent Criminal Record Expungement
The purported purpose of the criminal justice system and in particular, the Department of Justice, is to transform those who enter the system from convicted criminals to functioning members of society. The sad truth is that a federal prison or a stint on federal...
Court Issues Limited Decision on the Legality of NSA’s PRISM Program
Several years ago, Edward Snowden made national news when he declared that the United States population was under surveillance by the NSA. While the legality of that revelation has generated no small amount of controversy itself, the programs he brought to light also...
Time for Change in Bail Calculations?
The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, the chief judge of New York State, focused a portion of his annual State of the Judiciary Address to the practice of holding people facing, but not yet convicted of charges in jail for long periods of time, a practice he asserted...
“Vague” Portion of Armed Career Criminal Act Struck Down
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court held that the "residual phrase" of the Armed Career Criminal Act, which provides a five-year increase in imprisonment for crimes involving conduct that presents a serious risk of physical injury, is unconstitutional. This decision...