There is good news for people facing federal charges for distributing crack cocaine. According to Attorney General Merrick Garland, federal prosecutors will no longer seek longer sentences for crack offenders than they do for powder cocaine defendants. Since the...
Drug Charges
People aren’t still getting arrested for weed possession, are they?
According to multiple polls, around 70% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana for adult use. And, marijuana is legal, at least for medical use, in the majority of U.S. states – and the total number of states where it is legal keeps growing. Currently,...
50 years in, evidence mounts against the War on Drugs
The War on Drugs was initiated in June 17, 1971, by President Richard Nixon. Any way you look at it, this effort to reduce drug use and the consequences of addiction has failed. Meanwhile, it has arguably been responsible for many of the most destructive criminal...
New federal bill would release more drug defendants before trial
Pre-trial detention can be devastating. Imagine being accused of a crime and told you have no choice but to wait in jail until trial. This could happen because you’re assigned bail that you can’t afford or because bail has been denied altogether. It’s not supposed to...
In Wisconsin, Blacks are 4.2 times likelier to be arrested for pot
Throughout the criminal justice system, people of color have traditionally been arrested more often, charged more harshly, given less access to bail, convicted at greater rates and sentenced to longer than their white peers. This has certainly carried through to drug...
Illinois moves to expunge low-level marijuana convictions
"We are ending the 50-year-long war on cannabis," said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement recently. The state has just legalized the possession of marijuana for personal recreational use. Medical marijuana is also legal in Illinois.Expungement of...
DEA agents routinely target Amtrak passengers for searches
If you're traveling by train and a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent asks to search your bags, you have the right to refuse. Law enforcement only has the right to search you or your belongings if they have probable cause to believe you are committing a...
Sessions: Justice Dept. won’t prosecute small-time weed offenses
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced recently that federal prosecutors don't have the resources to focus on minor marijuana violations such as possession, although the cases could still be prosecuted under state law. This adds a bit of clarity to federal...
More evidence the DOJ is about to crack down on marijuana
This blog has previously discussed the possibility that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was about to crack down on marijuana offenses.Under federal law, marijuana is illegal for any use. Prosecutors, however, have the authority not to prosecute when appropriate...
Federal opioid advice, Walker signs bill to fight fentanyl sales
The opioid crisis continues to be a challenge, both from a public health and from a criminal justice perspective. Last week, President Trump's commission on the opioid crisis called for several new measures to deal with the worst drug crisis in American history.The...