Blog Posts in 2016

What You Should Know About Tax Crimes

Every taxpayer has a legal responsibility to accurately report and pay tax liabilities. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that the government loses billions to tax evasion and tax ...
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Answers to Your Questions about Bonds

Individuals who consult a criminal lawyer are often confused about what bonds are. Under criminal law, a bond is a way for the court system to ensure that a defendant will return to court for ...
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A Brief Guide to Internet Sex Crimes

Sex crimes that make use of the Internet may be prosecuted under federal or state criminal law. If you’ve been accused of or charged with Internet sex crimes, it’s important to avoid ...
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What Are the Penalties for Assault and Battery Convictions?

Assault and battery charges are extremely serious. If you have been charged with a violent crime, you need a skilled criminal lawyer near Columbus if you hope to avoid a conviction. In Ohio criminal ...
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Buyer's Remorse??

Calling the sentence “one of the most troubling that I ever faced in my five years on the federal bench,” Paul G. Cassell, now a professor at the University of Utah’s law school, ...
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18 USC 16's COV definition is vague!

The 5 th Circus joined the 7 th and 9 th recently, by finding that the definition of “crime of violence” found in 18 U.S.C. § 16, is unconstitutionally vague. This decision was ...
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Old Sparky's Making A Comeback.

Most capital litigants have been wildly successful in frustrating their grim reaper by ensuring the blood thirsty states where they are incarcerated have no lethal-injection drugs to pull off the ...
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BERNIE'S VIEW ON BAIL REFORM.

Bernie Sanders has softly beat the drum for bail reform in the federal system. The Bail Reform Act of 1984 made it dramatically easier to keep people locked up before federal trials; most of the ...
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A GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT DOESN'T RUN ON FORMS--WHAT GIVES??

Kaylon Pruitt appealed his 46 month sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm and argued the district court committed procedural error by failing to explain the reasons for the sentence, ...
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A LIFETIME OF BIG BROTHER!

In 2012, two years after the Wisconsin Department of Corrections officials affixed an ankle bracelet on him after his discharge from civil commitment, Michael Belleau sued, claiming the practice ...
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Examining Gun Possession and Carry Laws in Ohio

If you are facing a weapons charge, it is essential to contact a criminal defense attorney serving Columbus. Gun laws in Ohio are complex, and only a lawyer who is well versed in state criminal law ...
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Can You Get a Traffic Ticket Based on Traffic Camera Footage?

Criminal law in Columbus makes it an infraction to violate state traffic laws. If you are charged with a traffic violation, only a criminal defense attorney can help you avoid steep fines, ...
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Common Defense Strategies Against Manslaughter Charges

A criminal defense attorney serving Columbus can use different strategies when it comes to defending clients charged with manslaughter. A criminal lawyer may attempt to prove that the defendant did ...
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What You Need to Know About Red Light Camera Laws in Ohio

Numerous cities across the United States have installed red light cameras, which automatically photograph vehicles that run red lights. Despite the popularity of red light cameras, many critics have ...
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DOJ Machiavellian Policy In Child Pornography Investigations

Between February 20, 2015 & March 4, 2015, the FBI operated one of the largest child pornography websites, known as Playpen, allowing thousands of users to download graphic child pornography. At ...
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Rate of Violent Crime is Up, While Property Crimes are Down in 2015!

The FBI’s Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report reveals a mixed bag about whether our world was safer in 2015. This report demonstrates overall declines in the number of property crimes ...
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What to Do After a Criminal Arrest: Understanding the Bail Procedure

If you have been arrested, your first step should always be to contact a criminal defense attorney serving Columbus. A criminal lawyer can make sure your rights are protected throughout the entire ...
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Federal Criminal Justice System--More Prison, Less Probation.

Since the advent of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, imprisonment has been the dominant sanction in the federal criminal justice system. In 2014, 90% of defendants convicted of federal crimes went ...
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Examining Sentencing Memos

Both state and federal crimes require assistance from an experienced criminal lawyer near Columbus who is well-versed in the differences between these types of laws and has experience in both kinds of ...
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A Look at Ohio's Statute of Limitations on Sexual Assaults

Currently, the statute of limitations in Ohio for rape and sexual battery is 20 years. This means that, under criminal law in Columbus, prosecutors cannot bring charges against a suspect when this ...
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Who Makes The Next Move At Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?

Remember when the Native Americans occupied Alcatraz for several years in the late 1960s? How about the Ruby Ridge debacle or even the Waco imbroglio? There are a number of chapters in our ...
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Fiscal Year 2015 Statistical Trends In Federal Court

Most of us spent New Year’s Eve watching dreadful football games and hoisting adult beverages—not John Roberts. No, the Chief Justice of the United States worked through the night and ...
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