If you have been charged with a crime in West Palm Beach, it is not enough to simply hire a lawyer to represent you when you go to court. Your lawyer has to thoroughly investigate your case in order to know whether you should go to trial or whether you should plead guilty. When that […]
If you have to make a court appearance in West Palm Beach, it is important to know how to act when you’re in the courtroom and what’s appropriate to say. Florida courtrooms are a place where mutual respect needs to be maintained and your defense attorney should advise you of the following. It is easy […]
In the federal case of the United States of America versus Javado Barner, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge erred when he denied Mr. Barner's three-level reduction for acceptance of responsibility. The court of appeals concluded that this was one of those “unusual cases” in which the defendant went to […]
A "mandatory minimum penalty" refers to a federal law that requires a judge to sentence a person convicted of that law to a specified minimum term of imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. There are approximately 200 federal laws that carry a mandatory minimum penalty. According to statistics published by the United States Sentencing […]
Last week, the United States Sentencing Commission voted to retroactively cut federal prison sentences for drug crimes. The Commission voted to retroactively decrease the drug table by two offense levels for all drug types. The result is that approximately 50,000 people who are currently incarcerated in the federal prison system for drug crimes could be […]
It is a federal crime for a convicted felon to be in unlawful possession of a firearm. The maximum sentence for that crime is typically 10 years in prison. If, however, a convicted felon has three prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense when he unlawfully possesses […]
The Columbia Human Rights Law Review has published a very informative handbook of legal rights and procedures for people in prison. It is called the Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual, and some of its chapters include: Introduction: how to use the Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual Definitions of words used in the Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual […]
Earlier this month, I published an article on this website entitled Florida Sentencing and Drug Court Programs in which I noted that if a criminal defendant has more than 44 total sentence points on the sentencing guidelines, he is supposed to be sentenced to state prison. But on July 1st of this […]
Florida's sentencing guidelines determine sentences for felony offenses (except for death-penalty cases) based primarily on the following two factors: The conduct associated with the offense. (For example, manslaughter is a Level 7 on the guidelines which means that that particular crime has 56 sentencing points.) An individual's criminal history. (So, for example, if someone has 5 […]
Florida's sentencing guidelines determine sentences for felony offenses (except for death-penalty cases) based primarily on the following two factors: The conduct associated with the offense. (For example, manslaughter is a Level 7 on the guidelines which means that that particular crime has 56 sentencing points.) An individual's criminal history. (So, for example, if someone has 5 […]
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
