The federal government’s July 14, 2020 execution of Daniel Lewis Lee in the federal penal facility at Terre Haute, Indiana—the first and only execution during the pandemic crisis sweeping the nation—was not only a shameful affront to the decency of…
Author: John Floyd
2020
Bubba Wallace, a an African-American NASCAR driver, was told by NASCAR officials that a noose had been found in his garage before a race at Talladega Speedway in Lincoln, Alabama.
Wallace had supported the Black Lives Matter movement and…
2020
Category: Drug Crime | Drug Distribution | Drug Manufacturing | Drug Trafficking
Few would accuse meth dealers of making great decisions, but one Texas man may take the prize for creativity.
Along with over a dozen other associates, this particular individual was recently sentenced to more than two decades in federal…
2020
Laws are often confusing. Take the crime of fraud, for example. It seems straightforward enough until you dig deeper and find cases where the crime becomes infinitely more complex.
One such case recently surfaced here in Texas which perfectly…
2020
Category: Criminal Justice Reform
Steve J. Martin is a “prison expert.” His expertise has been utilized by the U.S. Justice Department, U.S. Homeland Security Department, and the federal courts in lawsuits challenging prison conditions, especially those involving the use of excessive force.
In a …
2020
Category: Appeals | Death Penalty | SCOTUS
Defending a person charged in a serious criminal case, under the best of circumstances, is a difficult task and an extraordinary professional responsibility. Defending a death penalty case under any circumstance is much more arduous and requires years of commitment…
2020
Category: Federal Criminal Law | Protesting
Protests have sprung across the United States in response to the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis Police custody. Most of these protests have been peaceful, but a few have been marred by rioting and looting.
This has…
2020
Category: Sex Crimes | Sexual Assault | Super Sexual Assault
Texas doesn’t mess around with sex crimes. Legislators have created different levels of offenses to maximize the potential punishment to perpetrators, including super aggravated sexual assault.
This charge recently came to light in a number of recent cases in…
2020
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Police Misconduct
An unprecedented 95 percent of Americans favor criminal justice reforms that include police reforms. The National Opinion Research Center (“NORC”) at the University of Chicago found in its report released on June 23, 2020, that Americans support having specific standards…
2020
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Police Misconduct
For over a decade, we have written about the “epidemic” of police misconduct and the devastating impact of systemic racism inside the criminal justice system. It was just another voice in the proverbial wilderness. Today, however, things are different. In…