Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, we may head out to a number of parties and celebrations where a lot of alcohol is served. “Liquid courage” may have you believe that you’re OK to drive after having a few drinks, but in reality, many drivers make this same gamble and lose.
Presidential Pardons and a Changing Attitude Toward Drug Laws
One of the signature accomplishments of the Obama administration has been a greater focus on the consequences of America's decades-long drug war. In addition to changing sentencing policies and guidelines with the help of former Attorney General Eric Holder, President Obama has made use of his executive powers to reduce unreasonable sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
The racial sentencing disparities in our criminal justice system
For people who haven't kept up with the news recently, there has been a significant media focus on the disparities in the ways that different races are treated in the criminal justice system. This difference isn't limited to treatment by police; it also extends to the sentences that courts hand down to people convicted of various crimes.
New York's Sex Offender Registry and Levels of Offense
This year, thousands of names came off of New York’s Sex Offender Registry. This was because of the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), which states that offenders who are deemed least likely to re-offend can be removed from the registry after 20 years. These are Level 1, or low-risk offenders.
Understanding DWI Charges in New York
Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a violation that you’ll want to avoid at all costs. Besides endangering yourself and others, most violations come with mandatory fines, from $125 to $10,000, possible jail or prison time, and license revocation.
What does the law say about teen sexting?
One growing phenomenon that brings with it a lot of controversy and confusion is sexting, or the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone. This has become a tricky legal issue when it comes to teens. Being charged with a sex crime can radically alter someone’s life and future. One persistent question that comes up with this topic: Is consensual sexting between teens a crime?
Rockefeller Drug Laws and Drug Law Reform
Drug laws have undergone some significant changes within the past few decades. In the early 1970’s, in the throes of a heroin epidemic and rising murder rates, along with President Richard Nixon declaring a war on drugs, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller campaigned to get tough on drug dealers and addicts by introducing mandatory sentences of 15 years to life. This included being found with small amounts of drugs, whether it was cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. This was a reversal from Rockefeller's previous stance of seeing drugs as a social problem, not as a criminal one.
Advanced Policing Technology May Threaten Basic Privacy
Did you know that half of all adult faces in the U.S. are filed in law enforcement records and can be viewed by police with face recognition technology? That's what researchers discovered in recent study findings at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology in Washington, D.C.
Is Pretrial Diversion A Viable Option For You?
A single mistake can affect someone for a lifetime. Unfortunate consequences like losing a job or home, spending time in jail, and having potential employers ask questions about a marred record can haunt someone long after his or her lesson is learned. If you are soon to be charged with a misdemeanor or other nonviolent crime, you could potentially avoid the above consequences and qualify for something called pretrial diversion. Available in most states, pretrial diversions can save you many unwanted headaches, especially when you have a defense attorney to help guide you through the terms of the deal.
The Importance of Recording Criminal Interrogations
If you find yourself in an interrogation room accused of a crime, you may or may not have that proceeding recorded. You also may not know why this is important. False confessions can be made under duress. You may be manipulated into making statements that you may think aren't that important, but can carry a lot of weight in a courtroom. If there is a recording, it will most likely start at the point where you are actually confessing. But the footage of what transpired prior--the coercion, the police feeding details that you would not otherwise know, and the intimidation--will not be taped or shown.
Uber changes policy (in CT) barring drivers with minor convictions
It is common knowledge that having a criminal record - no matter how minor - can close a lot of doors of opportunity. A criminal conviction can make it far more difficult to get a job, go to school or find a safe place to live.
3 things to know about shoplifting in New York
Seeing something you want and wanting to get it right away is a normal human thought. Acting on that impulse when you don't have the money to buy the item can land you in legal trouble. When you take something from a store or shop and don't pay for it, you are shoplifting. This is a type of theft charge that requires serious attention. Consider these points if you are facing shoplifting charges in New York.
Report notes that many forensic tests may be junk science
There are dozens of crime dramas on television, as well as a significant number of movies with the same theme. Shows like "CSI" focus on using cutting-edge forensic science to convict criminals for serious crimes like murder and rape.
Police drug testing kits can and do result in false positives
The war on drugs has had an astronomically high cost to taxpayers and those who face drug charges. Considering how severe the consequences can be for drug possession, it stands to reason that police would want to do everything in their power to prevent mistaken arrests and misidentification of substances. But sadly, that isn't always the case.
