» Drug Crimes

These amendments will affect thousands of defendants who are presently incarcerated for federal drug offenses. Read More

The Third Circuit, in Caldwell has issued a lengthy opinion which clearly explains Federal Rules of Evidence 403 and 404(b) and the law regarding the introduction of evidence of prior convictions in a federal criminal trial. Caldwell was convicted in… Read More

Third Circuit Spring Recap U.S. v. Velazquez, 749 F.3d 161 (3d Cir. 2014) In U.S. v. Velazquez, the Third Circuit ruled that the government’s minimal efforts to apprehend Velazquez violated his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. In 2005, the… Read More

On June 11, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that obtaining data from a cell phone tower without “probable cause” violated the Fourth Amendment. In U.S. v. Quartavious Davis, the Court of Appeals ruled that individuals h… Read More

U. S. Sentencing Commission votes to reduce drug quantity table by two levels for most federal drug trafficking offenses. Read More

In a major test of how to interpret the Fourth Amendment and privacy rights in the digital age, the Supreme Court heard arguments today about whether the police need warrants to search the cellphones of the people they arrest. The courts have long al… Read More

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted review in a murder case where Virginia prosecutors hid exculpatory evidence and defied a federal judge in a death-penalty case. This could be a pivotal moment for the enforcement of the “Brady Rule.” The case, W… Read More

While the proposition is a step in the right direction by reducing the overly draconian federal drug guidelines, it does nothing to correct the statutory mandatory minimum sentences, which result in the greatest injustice. Read More