Facing federal theft charges is a daunting experience, and the process becomes even more challenging when it involves the legal landscape of a city like Houston. As the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston presents unique considerations when dealing…
Category: Federal Criminal Law
2024
Category: Federal Criminal Law | federal Sentencing
The laws and guidelines governing federal sentencing have two things in common: uncertainty and complexity. This was made clear last July 24, 2023, when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided United States v. Vargas. The en banc court dealt…
2024
Category: Federal Criminal Law | federal Sentencing
A defendant’s federal sentencing memorandum aims to secure the best sentence possible for the defendant. Its value lies in the opportunity the memo gives criminal defense attorneys to put forth mitigating factors about the defendant’s background, family, social and economic…
2024
Category: Federal Criminal Law | federal Sentencing
FEDERAL SENTENCING: AN ALWAYS UNCERTAIN LANDSCAPE
The Sentencing Reform Act (SRA) was part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. The SRA abolished the federal parole system, replaced indeterminate sentencing with determinate sentencing, eliminated rehabilitation as a primary sentencing…
2023
Category: Conspiracy | Federal Criminal Law
A federal conspiracy charge can be a daunting experience with serious consequences upon conviction. To navigate this complex legal territory, it is crucial to understand the concept of conspiracy as a federal criminal charge, the elements required for conviction, and…
2023
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Federal Criminal Law | Police Misconduct
Islam is one of the three Abrahamic religions, just like Christianity and Judaism. None of these religions espouse violence to secure a religious or political objective. But we know that within all religions are fanatical elements that embrace violence and…
2023
The Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2019 formed The Plea Bargain Task Force (Task Force) “to address persistent criticisms of the plea bargain system in the United States. Plea bargaining has become the primary way…
2023
Category: Constitutional Law | Federal Criminal Law
The August 1, 2023 indictment of former President Donald J. Trump on four criminal charges related to repeated attempts to overthrow the 2020 presidential election results has triggered contentious public debate about the free speech rights guaranteed by the U.S.…
2023
Category: Federal Criminal Law | Police Misconduct | terrorism
They became known as the “Newburgh Four”: James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams, and Laquerre Payen. The FBI arrested the four men on May 20, 2009, on terrorism-related offenses involving a plot to attack the Air National Guard in Newburgh,…
2023
Category: Federal Criminal Law
Convicted of a federal crime and being sent to a federal prison is a serious punishment. Both
have long-lasting consequences.
However, some individuals already serving time in prison may be subject to additional
prosecutions for crimes they have allegedly committed.…