Recent Blog Posts
New York City’s Controversial Collection of Genetic Data & NYPD’s Use of The DNA Database
The New York Police Department (NYPD)’s reliance on the city’s DNA database has long been controversial: In just the last two years, the database has grown by close to 30 percent to include more than 80,000 people. It has also been criticized by a number of civil rights advocate activists, elected officials, and criminal… Read More »
The Inability for Law Enforcement to Distinguish Hemp from Marijuana Leads to False Arrests
Police officers around the country have routinely been mistakenly cracking down on what they believe are marijuana busts, but what actually turn out to be sources of legal hemp. Law enforcement arguably found itself unprepared for the legalization of hemp, as even traditional tools – such as drug-sniffing dogs and tests that still only… Read More »
New York Makes It Illegal for Anyone Under Age 21 to Buy E-Cigarette and Tobacco Products, And That’s Just the Start
In November, the state of New York officially made it illegal to purchase e-cigarette and tobacco products in the state for those under the age of 21. According to reports, the legislation is an attempt to decrease the number of teen smokers in the state, as almost 30 percent of all high school students… Read More »
The Most Important Civil Rights Case of the Term Comes Before the U.S. Supreme Court
In November, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in what many are calling the most important civil rights case to come in this term. The case involves a dispute between Comcast and Byron Allen, who is claiming that Comcast refuses to air channels from his company for racist/discriminatory reasons. Comcast Urges Narrow, First-Ever Interpretation… Read More »
Administration Announces New “Crackdown” On Violent Crime, But Is It Simply a Front to Arrest More Immigrants
In late October, President Donald Trump announced that Attorney General William Barr would soon reveal a new initiative to fight violent crime which will be geared towards going after drug traffickers and gangs in high crime cities and dangerous rural areas. Trump also announced that there would be a new Law Enforcement Commission created… Read More »
Trials for Criminal Defendants In New York Are About to Completely Transform Due to Criminal Justice Reforms
An important criminal justice reform law that mandates a 15- to 30-day window for prosecutors and defense attorneys to exchange materials before arraignment (as well as a number of other changes to information that defendants have access to before trial) goes into effect in January 2020, and has prosecutors (“DAs”) claiming that Gov. Cuomo… Read More »
Traffic Stop Case to Be Heard by U.S. Supreme Court Could Effectively Eliminate Fourth Amendment Protections in Circumstances Involving License Suspensions
The US Supreme Court will soon hear a case that will have significant impacts on every citizen’s Fourth Amendment rights. Specifically, the case involves the question of whether a police officer has enough reasonable suspicion to pull someone over after running the license plates when the owner of the car’s driver’s license has been… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Battle of State Versus Federal Criminal Law When It Comes to Immigration
The U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering a case that, if decided in favor of the state of Kansas, could open the door for every state to start regulating immigration according to their own criminal laws instead of it being the traditional jurisdiction of the federal government (via the Immigration Reform and Control Act… Read More »
Understanding The Federal Crimes Brought Against Celebrity Parents Who Allegedly Offered Bribes for Children’s Educations
In late October, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted on a third set of federal charges, which include allegations of federal program bribery. Nine others were also charged as part of an investigation into an alleged conspiracy to obtain college placements for celebrity children via assistance from a company called… Read More »
The House of Representatives Passes Legislation Making Animal Cruelty a Federal Crime
In late October, the House of Representatives passed legislation– the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (“PACT” Act)–making animal cruelty a federal crime. Ultimately passed by the Senate soon after, the bill creates federal penalties for a number of activities involving animals that currently depend upon state law, including burning, crushing, drowning, impaling, suffocating,… Read More »
