Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Strip Searches in Schools – Know Your Rights
As unbelievable as it sounds, there have been multiple accusations of school personnel, including teachers, counselors, principals, nurses, and security police forcing children to be strip searched. In some cases the adults were looking for contraband such as vape pens or marijuana. Other situations involved looking for signs of abuse, while about 10 percent… Read More »
Federal Sentencing Guidelines Updates
Federal sentencing guidelines have been updated and took effect in late 2025, with a focus on resolving circuit splits, streamlining procedures related to sentencing, and giving judges more discretion by promoting the idea of sentencing based on individual situations, as well as by revising various other sentencing rules. The Guidelines Manual is now available… Read More »
The Alford Plea: Risks and Benefits
On occasion defendants have the opportunity to use a unique method of dealing with criminal charges called the Alford plea. It’s a little known strategy defendants can consider under very limited circumstances. What is it, and when is it a good idea? What is the Alford Plea? Nevada law allows defendants who maintain that… Read More »
When AI Hallucinations Impact Legal Decisions
When a California man faced being held without bail for illegal gun possession charges, his defense team argued that the charges simply did not warrant the harshness of keeping him behind bars while awaiting trial. Prosecutors had a long list of reasons to support their argument, but, unfortunately, their pages and pages of explanation… Read More »
Federal Prosecutorial Discretion
When the Department of Justice (DOJ) decides whether to pursue a case, their discretion comes from the Take Care Clause from Article II of the United States Constitution. The provision requires the president to take care to execute the laws of the country faithfully, so when a new administration comes in it can make… Read More »
What are Jurors Thinking?
Anyone whose future is in the hands of a jury must wonder what jurors think as witnesses and evidence are presented in a trial. How sympathetic are they to a defense attorney’s argument? How persuasive is a particular piece of evidence? It’s a complex and changing puzzle that attorneys are constantly working to understand… Read More »
Illegal Sports Betting
Illegal sports betting has been all over the news of late, driven by a number of high profile scandals that have hit the headlines: According to ESPN, the Lucchese crime family was behind a network of bookmakers across the nation who facilitated roughly $2 million in illegal betting over recent years. The family is… Read More »
Know the Terminology in an Investigation
After the horrific shooting spree at Brown University, police were quick to release pictures of an individual they called a person of interest. That man was held and released quite quickly, and four days later another video was released in the hopes that the public could help law enforcement get in touch with another… Read More »
Don’t Take a Polygraph!
When law enforcement asks you to take a polygraph test, it may seem logical to comply in order to demonstrate your innocence. After all, you have nothing to hide, right? Wrong! There are myriad reasons to decline any such requests by police or anyone else! Why Say No Beside the fact that the results… Read More »
Charged With A Hate Crime?
When a hate crime occurs, a crime that is motivated by certain characteristics outlined in state and/or federal law, penalties may be heightened to exceed typical guidelines. In other words, a sentence that might normally be for five years could be extended by months or years based on the added hate crime enhancements. If… Read More »
