The discussion in our last couple posts has been concerned with mandatory minimum sentencing, particularly the public debate concerning the fairness and effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentencing for drug crimes and why it is important for criminal defendants to...
In our last post, we spoke briefly about the public debate that is currently going on with respect to drug crime policy, specifically the effectiveness and fairness of mandatory minimum sentencing. As more changes continue happening at the state and federal level, the...
Readers are aware that the heyday of the war on drugs has passed and that there has been a significant shift in recent years at both the state and federal level. Not only has the federal government shifted its prosecutorial policy to exercising greater lenience toward...
Yesterday, things got a bit crazy for St. Patrick’s Day in Annapolis. In the midst of a DUI checkpoint, a motorist reportedly fled from police and struck several cars before his own vehicle crashed and caught fire. According to police, the man had been driving without...
Have you ever watched a television crime drama? You have probably sat through at least one scene where a police officer is vigorously interrogating a suspect. The officer fires questions at a rapid pace, lies about the evidence, suggests alternative motives or fills...
Maryland readers are likely all aware of the situation in the District of Columbia regarding the legalization of marijuana. With marijuana now legal there, the situation in Maryland is a bit precarious. Maryland residents may be only minutes away from being able to...
In our last post, we began speaking about DUI checkpoints and their legality in the state of Maryland. One of the points we tried to hit home was that DUI checkpoints do not destroy the constitutional protections owed to motorists. As we noted, this includes the right...
We’ve been discussing the issue of federal fatal drug overdose charges, particularly the importance of working with an experienced attorney to scrutinize whether the elements of drug charges are fully supported by the evidence.Another important issue to explore in...
In our last post, we wrote about a recent push in the Maryland House to allow state level charges for drug dealers who contribute to the fatal overdose of a client. As we pointed out, there is already such a law at the federal level. The law applies not only to heroin...
With the problem of spreading heroin use gaining greater attention in Maryland in recent months, it makes sense that state lawmakers in the House are currently contemplating a bill that would increase penalties for those who deal the dangerous drug. The bill would...
