This was a “novel question” the Third Circuit Court of Appeals answered on March 12, 2014 in the case of Jose Ortiz-Vega (“Ortiz”) who was convicted and given 108 months’ imprisonment for crack cocaine offenses. This sentence was imposed on…
Author: John Floyd
2014
Category: Uncategorized
Sex Registration Not Severe Restraint, In Custody, for Federal Habeas Purposes
28 U.S.C. § 2254, the Federal habeas corpus statute, requires a petitioner to be “in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court … in violation of…
2014
Category: Uncategorized
In 2006, Congress enacted, and former President George W. Bush signed into law, the Adam Walsh Act, also know as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The purpose of the law is to “protect children from sexual exploitation…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
In December 1991 a fire at the Corsicana, Texas residence of Cameron Todd Willingham claimed the lives of Willingham’s three children. Navarro County law enforcement and arson investigators quickly put Willingham in their sights as the prime suspect. In January…
2014
Category: Drug Crime | Federal Criminal Law
An integral, increasingly non-negotiable component of any federal plea agreement requires that the defendant waive his right to appeal or collaterally attack his conviction or sentence. Federal appellate courts favor such waivers, as it saves the government and judiciary time…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
Ineffective Assistance Claim for Misadvice of Immigration Consequences of Plea Sucessfully Raised by the Extraordinary Remedy of Writ of Error Coram Nobis
A writ of habeas corpus is the most recognized remedy for challenging an unlawful conviction when a…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
No one would ever accuse Curtis Taylor, Antonio Rosario and Sam Vasquez of being rocket scientists. The trio was convicted in Federal court for conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and a…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
911, “Anonymous Tip” Not Enough To Give Police Reasonable Suspicion for Stop
Police rely heavily on anonymous tips to solve crimes. But anonymous tips can be highly inaccurate and misleading because they are motivated by a wide range of intentions—civic…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
Inmates released on parole by state parole authorities must sign “conditions of release” forms. One of the specified conditions is that the parolee consents to having his residence and any property under his control searched without a warrant. The consent…
2014
Category: Federal Criminal Law
The American Civil Liberties Union last fall released a comprehensive report about life sentences that must be served without the benefit of parole. The report, titled “A Living Death: Life without Parole for Nonviolent Offenses (Report),” offers a disturbing view…