Prison populations have skyrocketed over the past 50 years. Currently, 2.2 million people are incarcerated in facilities throughout the United States, an increase of 500 percent with longer sentences contributing to that massive growth. More prisoners mean an outlay...
Year: 2019
The Unlikely Survivability of R. Kelly’s Freedom
After years of rumors and criminal charges surrounding his supposed proclivities for minor females, R. Kelly has replaced a wardrobe custom-made for a wealthy R&B mogul for an orange jumpsuit and ankle shackles. This appearance was not his first time in front of a...
Parolees Getting Out the Vote
For decades, few paid attention to a felon sitting in prison and not having the right to vote. It was considered part of the punishment. “Doing the time” meant stepping behind the curtain on any given election day was not an option. Recently, a groundswell of activity...
Emojis as Evidence
Early in the existence of the “Internet Age,” a form of shorthand developed to convey laughing out loud and other reactions to random posts or direct messages. Yet, for those online aficionados, abbreviations did not go far enough in their brevity. Thus, emojis were...
How far can the police go in searching cell phone data?
The growth in the number of people who own cell phones matches the ongoing technological improvements by manufacturers looking for their piece of the market share. Once bulky and hard to handle, the devices now fit easily into the palm of the owners’ hands. Once...
How ‘genetic genealogy’ could violate your civil rights
One of the biggest cold cases in modern history made news about a year ago with the capture of the alleged “Golden State Killer.” The man identified as the suspect has been charged with 26 counts of murder for his alleged spree of murders and rapes in the 1970s and...
Does new legislation impede defendants charged with sex crimes?
Although mounting any criminal defense can seem overwhelming, allegations of criminal sexual conduct against adults involves special considerations. The reason is reputational: such crimes are often media fodder, and a defendant may feel like he or she is...
Many ‘violent offenders’ in US prisons committed no violent crime
Burglary. Purse snatching. Manufacturing meth. Marijuana possession, of a certain amount. These are all examples of crimes that some states consider violent. Others include possessing a precursor chemical with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, aiding in an...
Prosecutors would rather drop cases than reveal child porn tool
"When protecting the defendant's right to a fair trial requires the government to disclose its confidential techniques, prosecutors face a choice: Give up the prosecution or give up the secret," an expert in computer crime law and former Justice Department lawyer told...
Study: Your DNA can end up on objects you’ve never touched
While other types of evidence and forensic science are increasingly being challenged as unreliable, DNA analysis is the notable exception. It is usually considered the gold standard in the criminal justice arena, especially in prosecutions of violent crimes and sex...