Category Archives: Criminal Defense
New Jersey Attorney General Announces New Initiative Targeting “Public Corruption,” But Could This Be A Witch Hunt?
New Jersey continues to make the national news headlines this week as, on May 9th, Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced that the state would be offering a $25,000 reward for any tips “to fight corruption.” Porrino referenced former Bloomfield Councilman Elias Chalet in his announcement; Chalet recently pled guilty to bribery and will now… Read More »
Does New Jersey’s New Opioid Law Go Too Far in Criminalizing Certain Activities? Doctors Express Concerns
New Jersey’s new law severely limiting the ability for doctors to prescribe opioid prescriptions has many concerned, especially doctors, who could face severe legal consequences if they step outside of its strict requirements. The law not only limits initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to a five-day supply, but also requires doctors to have… Read More »
How We Define “Criminal”
The New York Times featured an interesting article on May 1 questioning the concept of who is considered to be a criminal, and how the answer to this question often depends upon the political agenda of whoever is in charge in the moment. In sum, the article puts forth the argument that the current… Read More »
Using Algorithms to Sentence “Criminals”
On May 1st, the New York Times published an eye-opening article about emerging software programs that are actually sending people to prison, and the strain that this is place on the justice system. While this may sound like a chapter out of a science fiction novel, in fact, individuals have already been sentenced to… Read More »
Is Your Computer Illegally Gathering Evidence Against You? New Report Offers Advice
A report recently released by the ACLU, EFF, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys highlights a serious issue in our criminal justice system that few are aware of: the installation of computer malware in order to illegally seize evidence of violation of the Fourth Amendment and federal laws in an effort to… Read More »
Brooklyn Moves to Protect Foreign-Born Citizens Accused Of Petty Crimes
One by one, various cities are resisting the deportation and/or detention of immigrants charged with certain misdemeanors or nonviolent crimes. For example, just this week, the Brooklyn district attorney’s office promised to seek equal and fair justice for the borough’s vulnerable foreign-born residents. The federal Justice department recently threatened to cut off federal funding… Read More »
Sessions’ Blow to Forensic Science Is Troubling For Justice in Criminal Conviction Cases
Recently Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that that the Department of Justice was disbanding the National Commission on Forensic Science and, instead, returning complete control of forensic science over to local law enforcement. In the same vein, Sessions suspended the department’s review of closed cases for evidence of any inaccurate or unsupported statements by… Read More »
Administration Seeks To Curtail Rights for Detainees in Correctional Facilities
Although it’s hard to believe that any given administration would have the ability to significantly change the specific rules and requirements concerning prisoners’ civil rights, in fact, as recently highlighted by the New York Times, many detained immigrants are now worried over what might happen to their basic rights while being held in prison… Read More »
What Is “Racketeering”?
The term “racketeering” can be traced back to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and includes 35 crimes related to organized crime and the act of offering a dishonest service in order to solve a problem. The RICO Act became law in 1970 in an effort to go after organized crime. However,… Read More »
The Future for Federal Efforts to Curb Police Abuse in the Cities
There’s been a lot of discussion of “consent decrees” as they apply to police abuse and the Justice Department in the news of late. These consent decrees are court-enforced agreements between cities and the federal Justice Department on how to reform city police departments accused of civil rights and systemic constitutional violations. Widely supported… Read More »
