Hate and the crimes it produces do incredible damage to the social fabric—what author and “values education” expert Nigel Cohen calls our shared values of “respect, kindness, compassion, trust and joy” that make society safe humane. For example, a community…
Author: John Floyd
2022
Category: Federal Criminal Law | Weapon Crimes
Weapons charges in Texas generally trigger images of large numbers of guns and/or knives. However, when it comes to weapons charges under the law, it doesn’t end with guns or knives. There are many things that are considered weapons.
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2022
While all courts strive for finality in criminal cases, there are constitutionally protected appeals rights in these cases at both the federal and state levels.
How do you appeal a federal court ruling?
It can be complicated. But…
2022
Category: Federal Criminal Law | SCOTUS | terrorism
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, America was besieged with fear, suspicion, and hostility towards Muslims and anyone associated with the Islamic faith. Not even the nation’s First…
2022
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Death Penalty
The death penalty is the ultimate punishment imposed in the American criminal justice system.
One hundred eight countries have completely abolished the death penalty, while another 55 have effectively abolished it by not executing anyone over the last ten years,…
2022
In March of 2021, Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam signed a Democratic-sponsored legislative bill into law that repealed the state’s death penalty—the 23rd such state to take such action.
State-Sponsored Racism
Many of the lawmakers who voted for the…
2022
Category: Corruption | Death Penalty | Prosecutorial Misconduct
The continuing march by the State of Texas to execute George Edward McFarland adds to the often-repeated phrase associated with death penalty cases, “only in Texas.”
Texas has probably executed at least ten innocent people (far more than any other…
2022
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Police Misconduct
He was born Hubert Gerold Brown. He would become known as H. Rap Brown. He evolved into Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin.
His name became legendary in the tumultuous civil rights era of the 1960s. The mere mention of “H.…
2022
Hate-inspired actions can constitute a crime at both the federal and state level. It speaks negative volumes about our society that hate crimes even exist, and worse yet that they occur every state in all regions of the country.
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2022
Category: Federal Criminal Law | Guns
A tragic set of circumstances recently unfolded in the Dallas area that involved guns – and it turned out the person who riggered the circumstances shouldn’t have had guns in the first place.
A man took several hostages at a…