• America: Incarceration Nation

    Alright, we Americans crow about our desire to spread democracy around the world and preach that the essence of civilized society is freedom and liberty. The most recent paper published by the Prison Policy Initiative makes you wonder how true to our ideals we really are. The above graphic was cut out of the Prison […]

  • SUPREMES SPLIT ON STRAW PURCHASER LIABILITY

    In what can only be described as a shocking alignment of justices voting for affirmance of a criminal conviction and those voting for vacation, today, the Supreme Court clarified when a statement is “material” on ATF Form 4473, which must be filled out when a firearm is purchased. Bruce Abramski, a former police officer, appeared […]

  • Redefining Pyrrhic Victory

    We’ve all been there—things didn’t quite work out the way we thought and the affected client demanded an appeal so the sentencing judge’s work could be reviewed. Occasionally, on appeal, the rabbit is pulled out of the hat, the judgment is reversed, and a better result is achieved on remand. More frequently than not, however, […]

  • Lawyer Should Have Waived Speedy Trial!

    I know that the cornerstone of our criminal justice system requires advocates to zealously, and often fearlessly, represent their clients. However, the clip below raises the question about when zealous representation crosses the line. Imagine standing defiantly before a judge refusing to waive your client’s right to a speedy trial. Then, after being harangued by […]