Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Recreational Marijuana And Sports Gambling Could Soon Become Legal In New York
On May 14th, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling, opening up the possibility for states to pass laws allowing for the activity as they see fit. While New Jersey has already passed a law to allow for sports gambling, New York is also expected to in the next… Read More »
Breakdown Of Allegations Against New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
Sexual assault and physical abuse allegations against New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman have been all over the news of late. As a result, Schneiderman ultimately decided to resign, noting that they would prevent his ability to continue to lead the New York office. Many remain shocked, particularly given that Schneiderman was a… Read More »
U.S. Supreme Court Decides Whether Attorneys Can Override Criminal Defendants’ Wishes
On May 14th, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a very important case addressing the issue of whether a criminal defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to assistance of counsel is violated if their attorney concedes their guilt over their express objection. Ultimately, the majority determined that the client—not the attorney—is at the center of every criminal… Read More »
New Jersey Township Considers Making Sale Of Guns And Ammunition Illegal In Some Areas
One New Jersey Township–Piscataway–is considering passing an ordinance that would make it illegal to sell ammunition or firearms within 1,000 feet of “sensitive” locations, including bars, college campuses, daycare centers, medical facilities, parks, places of worship, schools, and similar locations. Local leaders have noted that it is part of an effort to take things… Read More »
Will Sexual Assault Cases Ever Be The Same After The #MeToo Movement?
The most recent trial against Bill Cosby for sexual assault has many speculating that trials like these are now forever changed since the onset of the #MeToo movement. Many are now commenting that changing cultural perspectives are now affecting courtroom procedures, such as admissibility of evidence. While the first jury to weigh whether Cosby… Read More »
New Jersey Supreme Court Decides Juveniles Convicted Of Sex Offenses Do Not Have To Stay On Sex Offender Registry Forever
On April 24th, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that juveniles can no longer be placed on the state’s sex offender registry for life. The Court found that his mandate under Megan’s law violates juveniles’ due process rights under the state constitution. This will inevitably affect thousands of people in New Jersey, who have… Read More »
Are Police Illegally Using DNA Evidence In Criminal Investigations?
Police tracking down the “Golden State Killer” has been in the news headlines of late, not only because he turned out to be a former police officer, but also due to the methods used by detectives to break the case. In the case, police officers reportedly used genetic data provided by the killer’s relatives… Read More »
Administration Encourages Use Of Death Penalty In Certain Drug-Related Crimes
Recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo to all U.S. attorneys identifying which drug-related crimes should warrant prosecutors pursuing the death penalty. Specifically, he advocated for federal prosecutors utilizing laws that permit capital punishment as a sentence in both non-violent and violent cases. In providing concrete examples of cases where he feels that… Read More »
NYPD & New York City Sued For Misusing Arrest Records
On April 24th, a class action lawsuit was filed against the NYPD police department and the city of New York alleging that the department illegally kept and accessed sealed arrest records in order to target particular communities for investigations and law enforcement activities. The lawsuit alleges that the department used the records in the… Read More »
When Criminal Justice, Environmental Justice, And Racial Profiling Overlap
There are many instances where criminal justice and environmental justice overlap, as recently highlighted in this a recent article published by Grist. For one, police and judges often sentence environmental activists to prison terms, conveniently finding connections between peaceful protests and “felony assault.” Sadly, this can also frequently result in a racial discrimination/inequity/environmental justice… Read More »
