Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Police Using Fitbit Data to Charge Defendants with Murder
Police are reportedly using a new tool to gather evidence in their criminal investigations: Fitbit fitness trackers. Recently, they used data provided by this device to arrest a man for allegedly killing his stepdaughter. According to reports, the arrest was made based on data from the victim’s Fitbit, which showed that her heart rate… Read More »
What Is Happening With Legalization Of Marijuana In New Jersey?
Rolling Stone recently ran an interesting article on the legalization of marijuana in New Jersey. According to experts, New Jersey has a unique set of circumstances that could allow it to become a global leader in the cannabis industry. First, the state has some of the highest incarceration rates in the country as a… Read More »
Proposed Law Would Expand New Jersey’s DWI Ignition Interlock Program
A new law proposed in New Jersey (S824) could have significant impacts on anyone who is convicted of a DUI/DWI (i.e. driving while intoxicated) by increasing the number of individuals who must use an ignition interlock system. A DUI ignition interlock acts like a breathalyzer and won’t allow a car to start if the… Read More »
Are Police Officers In New York & New Jersey Engaging In Misconduct To Get The Evidence They Want?
Below, we discuss two breaking stories that involve police misconduct and the potential repercussions it has on the innocent here in New York and New Jersey: NYPD & District Attorney’s Office Charges a Suspect in Jogger Murder “On a Hunch” The New York jogger who was murdered in Howard Beach (Queens, New York) two… Read More »
New York Judge Orders Man Freed, Noting “Zero Tolerance” Immigration Policy Is Cruel
In a major victory for individuals charged with immigration crimes, in late July, a New York judge (Paul Crotty) ordered an Ecuadorian immigrant (Pablo Villavicencio) freed from an immigration detention camp in New Jersey, noting that the U.S. government was applying its “zero tolerance” policy in a “cruel and thoughtless manner.” Judge Crotty also… Read More »
New York City Can No Longer Give Out Camera-Based Speeding Tickets
As of July 25, New York City is reportedly no longer authorized to hand out $50 tickets to motorists caught by speed cameras in the city. While cameras in 20 school zones will continue to ticket until August under a different law, the others cannot operate. These cameras have long drawn criticism for those… Read More »
New Jersey Officials Question Jailing Immigrants For ICE
Since the current administration has expanded the scope of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), close to 2,000 immigrants have been placed in county jails in Bergen, Essex, and Hudson Counties alone here in New Jersey. Many are held solely on an immigration violation, which is a civil infraction. This is because the administration altered… Read More »
New York Council Passes Significant Uber & Lyft Restrictions & Launches Voter Registration Efforts In Jails
During the month of August, a number of important initiatives that affect New Yorkers’ civil rights moved forward, as we discuss in detail below: Increasing Voter Registration for Inmates On August 7, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new voter registration drive for the city’s correctional facilities, which will allow inmates… Read More »
Crackdown On Drugged Driving In New Jersey & Prison Conditions Coming
A number of important developments concerning criminal defense, justice, and penalties occurred in New Jersey this month (August), as we discuss in detail below: Prison Reform Addressed In New Jersey This Month On August 9, a number of governors and state attorneys met with President Trump in New Jersey to discuss prison reform at… Read More »
Pope Francis Declares Death Penalty Unacceptable In All Cases
In an announcement that could affect the use of the death penalty throughout the U.S. and elsewhere in the world, in early August, Pope Francis declared that the death penalty is always wrong, regardless of the circumstances of a case. He also officially altered this in the “Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church,” the… Read More »