The use of confidential informants in law enforcement can sometimes be a grey area that can be exploited by both the informant and the law enforcement agents involved. Becoming a confidential informant can be a way to avoid going to prison, although it may also mean accepting the informant role for a quite some time. Becoming an informant can also be dangerous when it exposes the informant to threats of
When a sexual assault on a college campus is reported and an accused named, it can have far-reaching effects for both the victim and the accused. Unfortunately, the investigations surrounding campus sexual assaults have been criticized as being both unfair to the accused and sometimes inadequate for the victim. Federal Law and Campus Investigations For colleges and universities that receive federal funds, there are some basic guidelines that they have
Labor Day weekend can mean more than a welcome break from work with a three day weekend of relaxing with friends and family; it can also mean an increased chance of being arrested for driving while intoxicated. New York State police and local police departments across the state have collaborated in a national campaign, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” which ran from August 19, 2015 to September 7, 2015.
College students at any institution in America are fully aware that a disciplinary hearing facilitated by a university is nothing to joke about. Not only can a student potentially be expelled or suspended, but the stigma that goes along with being the subject of a university disciplinary investigation or hearing can be extremely hurtful while attending the university and well beyond graduation. A new bill that was proposed in Congress
Federal drug allegations are serious matters. Many federal drug prosecutions involve potential mandatory minimum prison terms that require convicted drug offenders to spend a minimum amount of time behind bars. One of the most serious types of drug-related convictions – for participating in a conspiracy – can punish the defendant for the actions of others, resulting in liability for more than the amount of drugs the person sold or possessed
All drivers know that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much is a bad idea. Many individuals have had the experience of getting into the driver’s seat of a car or truck and asking themselves, “Am I good to drive, right now?” Some drivers will attempt to recite the alphabet backwards or walk an imaginary straight line in an attempt to preview their performance if they
The purported purpose of the criminal justice system and in particular, the Department of Justice, is to transform those who enter the system from convicted criminals to functioning members of society. The sad truth is that a federal prison or a stint on federal probation may only be the beginning of a lifelong sentence of difficulties for those convicted of a crime that can include increased roadblocks when attempting to
Being investigated, prosecuted, and convicted by a federal court is never a pleasant experience. The long and drawn-out process can wear a person down without ever having a prison sentence imposed on them. But the real anguish comes at sentencing, when a convicted federal defendant has their fate determined. Although many would like to believe otherwise, a sentence is not completely up to a federal judicial officer. Mandatory minimum sentences
Several years ago, Edward Snowden made national news when he declared that the United States population was under surveillance by the NSA. While the legality of that revelation has generated no small amount of controversy itself, the programs he brought to light also have important implications for the field of criminal law and the Fourth Amendment rights of accused citizens. An appeals court in New York handed down a decision
The Honorable Jonathan Lippman, the chief judge of New York State, focused a portion of his annual State of the Judiciary Address to the practice of holding people facing, but not yet convicted of charges in jail for long periods of time, a practice he asserted “strips our justice system of its credibility and distorts its operation.” Judge Lippman’s comments urged legislative reform in pretrial detention practices to increase fairness