As we've discussed at length on our blog, the draconian mandatory minimum sentencing scheme for federal drug crimes introduced back in the 1980s has long been derided as unduly punitive and exceedingly expensive, sentencing those convicted of nonviolent drug crimes to...
Local and state court systems across the nation have increasingly come under fire from advocacy groups for using preset bail systems, which they argue are designed to unfairly punish indigent defendants charged with minor offenses, keeping them behind bars in...
In our post last week, we discussed how the federal government affirmed its commitment to treating marijuana as an illegal narcotic with the Drug Enforcement Administration's recent announcement that the drug would continue to be classified under Schedule I of the...
At the moment, an astounding 42 states permit residents to use medical marijuana in some capacity, while nearly half the states have passed laws decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of marijuana. Indeed, Illinois enacted just such a measure a few weeks...
Last time, our blog discussed how the area of white collar crime is by no means the exclusive domain of the federal government, as law enforcement officials here in Illinois routinely handle the investigation and prosecution of all types of financial crimes.By way of...
When you hear certain terms like wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and, of course, embezzlement, there is a natural inclination to associate these crimes with agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the...
Last week, our blog examined some of the specifics of the Back the Blue Act, which, if passed, would establish a new federal crime prohibiting the assault of federal judges, federal law enforcement officers and "federally funded public safety officers."Furthermore, we...
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) made headlines last week by introducing a measure known as the Back the Blue Act, which, among other things, calls for the creation of a new federal crime -- complete with mandatory minimum sentences -- addressing the assault of...
In a series of ongoing posts, our blog has been exploring how the federal courts treat drug charges in an attempt to help people better understand how this seemingly arcane and often unforgiving criminal justice system works.To that end, we've explored how the...
Nearly two decades ago, Congress passed a rather significant amendment to the Gun Control Act known as the Lautenberg Amendment, which expressly forbids anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor from either purchasing or owning a firearm.The amendment, which...
