Category: Blog

"How Long is the Federal Criminal Appeals Process?" This is a question our office gets all the time, and it would be great if we could give a clear-cut answer; however, the short and sweet truth of the federal criminal appeals process is that it takes as long as it takes. Sometimes it can take […]

The BOP recently released a 102-page book to describe the development and implementation of its new PATTERN risk and needs assessment tool.

The Supreme Court judgement under Rehaif said that a felon must have knowledge that they are unable to be in possession of a firearm. Why is the Rehaif Case Important? The Rehaif case may be significant because of its consequences.  It is possible that there will now be a flood of litigation from defendants who will […]

The Elderly Offender Home Detention Program is a program by which an “Eligible Elderly Offender” or an “Eligible Terminally Ill Offender” can go home for the rest of their sentence.

A main misconception is that a federal criminal appeal is an opportunity to re-address or re-open the facts that were presented at trial.

According to the Bureau of Justice, from 1999 to 2016, the number of inmates in state and federal prisons who were 55 years or older increased 280 percent!

The FIRST STEP Act makes changes to the way that “good time” is assessed by the Bureau of Prisons, retroactively applies the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, Reauthorizes the Second Chance Act, allows inmates to petition the court for compassionate release, bans the shackling of women during child birth, adds “sunlight” provisions to parts of these bills and several other things. This explainer will discuss a majority of portions of the Act.

The piece of legislation known as the FIRST STEP ACT has passed both the House and Senate.

In United States vs. Lewis, 17-7033, the Tenth Circuit offered guidance on how to apply Mathis to a Johnson Claim

In United States vs. Qunitero,  No. 17-20727 the Fifth Circuit held that an error in the sentencing guidelines could meet the plain error analysis. Quintero pled guilty to illegally re-entering the U.S. He wasoriginally scheduled for sentencing under the 2015 Guidelines, but was delayedto December after the 2016 Guidelines Manual had gone into effect. Quintero […]