You may be under the impression that the sentence a defendant receives in court is based on legal guidelines which attach a certain type of crime to a certain amount of prison time. That’s not entirely true. A mathematical tool is also used to determine...
If you were charged with a criminal offense and found guilty, it’s important to understand that a guilty verdict does not have to be the end of the road for you. Under some circumstances, you may be eligible to appeal the ruling—that is, to convince a...
At the end of the 21st century, California legalized marijuana for medicinal use. Since that time, more and more states have been following suit. To date, 29 states—including Illinois—have legalized marijuana for this purpose, and six of these states also...
A group of Chicago defense attorneys are currently seeking to prove that racial bias was at the root of a long series of Chicago drug stings. The ruling could have implications at the national level.Beginning in the 1990s, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms...
The term “white collar crime” has sprung up in recent years and now pervades our media. Many of us have an abstract understanding of what white collar crimes entail. We may have vague notions of rich Wall Street investors sitting in their lofty high-rise...
DNA testing has played a huge role in how cases are tried and how defendants are convicted. Since this forensic analysis has been introduced into the trial process, it has shed light on a huge problem in our criminal justice system: the inaccuracy of eyewitness...
According to a recent study on demographic prison data from 2016, the U.S. Sentencing Commission discovered that black men receive 20 percent more prison time than white men for the same crime—even when the data is analyzed in terms of the offenders’...
Much has been said this year about President Trump's propensity to speak his mind, particularly through Twitter. His tweets have been fodder for controversy on things he likes (i.e. support for certain political candidates, his political relationship with China) as...
Much is said about the problems with our criminal justice system, especially its effect upon people of color and the poor. Those who cannot afford to post bail and go free until their next hearing date (or trial) are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to...
As we write this post, we hope our readers have enjoyed the “Halloween” season of costume themed parties and events. We also hope that our posts have been compelling, unique and genuinely informative.The unfortunate reality is that some people will stumble...
