Category Archives: Federal Criminal Law

Jun 19 2017

The Doctrine of Abatement Ab Initio Expanded

Moments before he took his own life in a Massachusetts prison this past April, former NFL star Aaron Hernandez was a convicted murderer. The…

Jun 14 2017

What Is a “Federal Crime of Violence”?

Certain crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery, and assault, are generally associated with the often used term “crime of violence.” What exactly defines “violence”…

May 30 2017

Abuse of Power: A Standard Feature of the Trump Administration

What is abuse of power? That question has become increasingly important to Americans. A new Quinnipiac poll shows that 54 percent of the people…

May 25 2017

Plea Deals for Drug Crimes May Not Be the Bargain They Seem

The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to a fair and impartial trial to anyone charged with either a federal or state criminal offense, regardless…

May 22 2017

What Is a Brady Violation?

The landmark decision Brady v. Maryland was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963. The decision held that, under the Fifth and…

May 19 2017

What Trump’s Picks for Federal Courts Mean For Criminal Defense

President Trump’s abrupt firing of former FBI Director James Comey, and its related political fallout, has dominated the news cycle over the last week…

May 04 2017

Supremacy Clause Protects Austin PD Officer Deputized by Feds

The federal courts have on occasion pointed out that the immunity found in the Supremacy Clause is a “seldom litigated corner” of constitutional law.…

Mar 29 2017

Trump Promises and Promises

President Donald Trump made a lot of promises during his successful campaign to become President of the United States – two of which were…

Mar 09 2017

Attorney General Sessions and Possible Perjury Charges

Attorneys General have been known to lie. Last August former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was convicted of lying to a state grand jury.…