Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Creato Murder Trial Draws Attention in New Jersey This Week
By now, many people in New Jersey have heard of David Creato Jr., the father accused of killing his three-year-old son, and whose murder trial is now taking place in Camden, New Jersey. Creato’s son’s body was found in October 2015 in a nearby creek. Creato has been accused of murdering the child allegedly… Read More »
Criminalizing Citizens for Both Deportation & Civil Disobedience
It’s no secret that many people in America are scared are of being deported right at this moment—most of them even though they’ve done nothing at all—others for petty crimes that they paid their dues for long ago. While the Obama administration’s guidelines for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency specified that terrorists… Read More »
Allegations of Obstruction Of Justice: What Must Be Proven?
The issue of obstruction of justice has been all over the news of late, covering the recent firing of ex-FBI Director James B. Comey by President Trump, along with coverage of the statement that the president asked Comey to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. But what is obstruction… Read More »
New Jersey Legislation Could Legalize Recreational Use of Marijuana
On the week of May 16th, Senator Nicholas Scutari introduced a bill that would allow for the recreational use of marijuana in the state of New Jersey. Not only would the legislation allow for marijuana to be recreationally used, but also grown, sold, and taxed in the state, allowing New Jersey to join the… Read More »
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 »