This morning in their online news, The New York Time reports that “Biden pardoned his son Hunter last night, brushing away two federal convictions and granting his son clemency for any wrongdoing over the past decade. “  The term “brushing away two federal convictions” makes it seem as if Hunter Biden no longer has those convictions on…

With a new administration coming in January 2025, significant changes are expected at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). One area of focus is the revival of the death penalty, a stark contrast to the moratorium imposed during Biden’s presidency. Trump is expected to push for executions to resume swiftly. The 2018 First Step Act, designed…

When prison is about to become a reality, many federal defendants face a term of incarceration and have no understanding of the road ahead. This is especially true for a defendant who have never experienced incarceration.  With understanding and compassion, I work with defendants and their family members to help them through the transition while providing…

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) recently announced important updates regarding prisoner sentence computations under the First Step Act, aimed at providing clearer release date calculations. Under this act, inmates earn 54 days of Good Conduct Time for every year served. For instance, a two-year sentence would yield 108 days off, while a three-year sentence would provide 162 days off. Additionally,…

The attorney-client relationship The attorney-client relationship has deep roots in this country and is one of the foremost ties built on trust.  The relationship can be established any time an attorney has given, or promises to give, legal advice to an individual seeking it.  However, the attorney-client confidentiality extends to potential clients as well, meaning…

For the first time in history, a presumptive presidential nominee from one of the two major United States’ political parties is a convicted felon.  The Constitution lays out just three requirements for presidential candidates. They must (1) be a natural born citizen; (2) be at least 35 years old; and (3) have been a US…

With a presidential election looming in November, once again the topic of voting, and voter rights, have become front and center.  In the United States, almost all people with felony convictions lose their voting rights for a certain period.  Individual states set rules about how a felony conviction affects a resident’s ability to vote. Most…

The differences between federal and state courts are defined mainly by jurisdiction.  Jurisdiction refers to the kinds of cases a court is authorized to hear. Most criminal cases involve violations of state law and are tried in state court, but criminal cases involving federal laws can be tried only in federal court. We all know,…

The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve an opinion by the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana should be reclassified from the strictest Schedule I to the less stringent Schedule III. It would be the first time that the U.S. government has acknowledged its potential medical benefits and begun studying them in…

Recently, a client wanted to have a serious discussion about having a pardon.  Many times the answer is unless you know the President personally, you don’t have a chance.  However, that is not necessarily the case.  Each year the average President receives XX applications for pardon.  Technically, a presidential pardon is a right granted to…