Bureau of Prisons Announces Updates to First Step Act Calculations

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,…

Read More

Attorney client privilege: why won’t an attorney give me a file for my son/daughter when I paid the fee?

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…

Read More

Can a felon become President of the United States?

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…

Read More

Should convicted felons be allowed to vote?

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…

Read More

Marijuana’s new federal classification

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…

Read More

Pardons for Federal Offenses

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…

Read More

Sentencing Advocacy

What makes a good sentencing memorandum? The defense sentencing memorandum is the cornerstone of advocacy for a rigorous defense at sentencing.  This is because, admittedly many Judges already have an idea of the sentence they will impose by the time the hearing arrives.  By the time of the hearing, the Judge has already read the…

Read More

Why hire an attorney for a federal sentencing?

Years ago, I had a client place me on retainer (as he knew he was being investigated and wanted to have me lined up in case he was arrested).  He thought the case would be a state case, but it turns out federal law enforcement had been following him for a while and the case…

Read More

Federal versus State Crimes Explained

What is the difference between federal versus state criminal cases? The state court and federal court are two entirely different systems — with different courthouses and judges.  Federal judges, appointed by the President and then ratified by Congress, preside over federal criminal cases.  State court judges, who are elected in local elections, preside over state criminal…

Read More