The U.S. Supreme Court recently addressed the roles of two entities that often have a substantial impact on the sentence actually served by a federal criminal defendant—state courts and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). District court judges have discretion to impose sentences that are either consecutive to or concurrent with a federal sentence that […]
READ MOREHackers crack more than 60% of breached LinkedIn passwords
Speed of hackers to crack passwords shows weakness of security scheme used by LinkedIn, researchers say. More than 60% of the unique hashed passwords that were accessed by hackers from a LinkedIn password database and posted online this week have already been cracked, according to security firm Sophos. It’s very likely the remaining passwords have […]
READ MOREPennsylvania judge sentenced to 28 years in prison for selling teens to prisons
Judge Busted in Kids for Cash Scheme When Mark Ciavarella, Jr. was sentenced to twenty-eight years behind bars, he said he was “sorry.” Observers aren’t sure that he was sorry for his actions when landed him in prison. Most believe he was sorry he got caught. A disgraced Pennsylvania judge, Ciavarella had been found guilty […]
READ MORENew York Police Pilot Android Smartphone Program
The New York Police Pilot Android Smartphone Program, which began last summer, provides police with thousands of criminal records while they canvas a particular building or area. Over 400 phones have been distributed to police officers since the program began. Police can now access your criminal history and your neighbors by tapping on their smartphone […]
READ MORECourt Suppresses Evidence in Wecht Case, Leaving Little or Nothing Left
Last Thursday, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin presiding, ruled that the government could not use evidence obtained from two search warrants against former Allegheny County Coroner, Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The warrants were issued for Dr. Wecht’s pathology laboratory in 2005. Agents seized […]
READ MOREMalamud Linked to PACER Pilot Shut Down
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an archaic, document tracking system used by the federal courts. This is the database that stores all complaints, court motions, case scheduling and decisions. In 2001, the Judicial Conference of the US released a web-based version of the PACER database allowing remote access to most federal civil […]
READ MOREUnited States Sentencing Commission Proposes Amendment to Acceptance of Responsibility Guideline
The United States Sentencing Commission recently released proposed amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Among the proposed changes, including changes relating to [insert list here], is a proposed change to the guidelines regarding acceptance of responsibility. The Commission, through this proposed amendment, seeks to reconcile to conflicting circuit opinions regarding the interpretation of the existing […]
READ MOREQueens Man Arrested for Firing a Realistic Toy Gun in Queens Park
A Queens man by the name of Jack Pawlowski was arrested on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 for firing a toy gun that resembled a real weapon and then handed it to his three year old son and other family members to play with. Apparently some people at Ditmar’s Park thought the gun was real. Maria Smilios […]
READ MOREFelony Cases in Bronx Have Longest Delays
One of the central ideas of our criminal justice system is the promise of a speedy trial. Felony cases in the Bronx have seen the longest delays in New York City. Seven in 10 cases have surpassed the state’s guidelines, which require that most felony crimes be tried within 180 days. Cases are piling up […]
READ MOREInsurance Fraud Scandal in New York’s Russian Foreign Ministry
For the past six months, New York prosecutors and the FBI have collected evidence concerning health insurance fraud, perpetrated by Russian diplomats. They are now confident that they have enough evidence to mount a solid case. According to Prosecutor Preet Bharara, the diplomats falsified income statements and other information regarding marital status and nationality to […]
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