Federal Drug Trafficking Offense Penalties – Knowing the Basics

Recently, the FBI and Tennessee law enforcement arrested 10 people on federal drug trafficking charges in Memphis. They were ultimately charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute. They had in their possession methamphetamine, cocaine, and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Given the conspiracy charges in this case, those arrested…

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Trespassing In Cyberspace: The Law of Federal Cybercrime

It has been nicknamed “Celebgate.” That is the federal cybercrime scandal, beginning in September 2014, in which hackers obtained and leaked photographs of a number of female celebrities. The FBI’s investigation into Celebgate is still ongoing and recently (January 2018) resulted in another guilty plea. This time the plea came from a 26-year-old Connecticut man…

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The Federal Appeal Process – What you need to know.

Procedural TV shows like Law and Order and films like A Few Good Men make the most of the age-old “courtroom drama” form of entertainment. Most of us, when thinking about courtroom litigation, immediately jump to images of lawyers arguing to a jury, or witnesses in the witness box having a “Perry Mason moment.” However,…

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Are Sex Offender Registries Unconstitutional?

A sex offender registry, publicly listing those convicted of federal sex crimes, is important to give the community information to help keep children safe. However, it sometimes leads to absurd, or even tragic, results. Take, for example, 19-year-old William Elliot. He had sex with his then-girlfriend who was a few weeks shy of her 16th…

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Health Care Fraud and Abuse: A Primer

The United States loses billions of dollars due to health care fraud and abuse each year. In fact, some estimate the cost to be close to $100 billion annually. Moreover, as national health care expenditures rise – currently into the $3 trillion range – health care fraud schemes appear to be growing in complexity and…

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