New York shares a border with Canada over four hundred miles long. Syracuse is conveniently located a little more than an hour's drive on Interstate 81 from the US-Canada border, which makes it a prime target for both legal and illegal immigration. The United States...
Have You Been Charged With A Serious Crime?
Year: 2015
Federal Sentencing Guidelines: A Primer
All crimes charged in federal court are governed by the United States Sentencing Guidelines ("guidelines"). These guidelines are created by the United States Sentencing Commission, which was created by Congress in the 1980's. The Guidelines were created in an attempt...
Bitcoin: Online Currency and the Black Market
In May of 2015, Dylan Soeffing, a senior in college, was arrested at his apartment with over eight-hundred Xanax pills, a small amount of marijuana, and more than $170,000 in cash. Mr. Soeffing allegedly told police that he had coordinated his year and a half old drug...
Implied Consent Law: Can I Refuse to Submit to a Breathalyzer?
As much as we take driving car for granted, driving in the State of New York is considered a privilege,not a right. The state can thus choose to place certain conditions on your privileges. For example, the Implied Consent Law states that any person who operates a...
Convicted Felons Can Transfer Guns to Approved Third Parties: Henderson v. United States
When an individual is convicted of a felony, he or she loses his right to lawfully possess firearms. If an individual is convicted of a felony drug offense or other felony, he is barred by federal law from possessing guns. The recent Supreme Court case Henderson v....
How New York’s New White Collar Criminal Task Force May Affect You
In October 2012, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance along with Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen M. Rice created a White Collar Crime Task Force looking to revise New York's current criminal scheme. The experts involved in the task force recommended...
Two Types of Traffic Concerns on Interstate 81
Earlier this year, federal agents were alerted to the transport of a large quantity of ecstasy, otherwise known as MDMA, on the New York side of the Canadian border. Based on information provided by a confidential informant, the transfer of over 400 grams of MDMA was...
Sexual Assault on Campus: Victim Focus Clouds Due Process Rights of Defendant
The White House's visible focus on preventing sexual assault has sparked efforts at both the federally and state level to address sexual violence. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, the office responsible for dictating procedures regarding...
Dog Sniffs are Not Routine Traffic Stop Procedures: Rodriguez v. United States
In a drastic shift in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, the Supreme Court recently decided that, absent reasonable suspicion, an officer cannot extend a traffic stop to conduct a dog sniff of the vehicle. Any stop that exceeds the time necessary to handle the initial...
Surveillance Camera Systems: Are They Really Preventing Crime?
Video surveillance systems are popping up all over the United States. Law enforcement has taken an aggressive approach by employing dozens, if not hundreds, of surveillance cameras in cities and towns. A few major justifications for employing the technology include...