Updates to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Just Became Effective: What You Need to Know
The U.S. Sentencing Commission implemented key changes to the Sentencing Guidelines that took effect on November 1, 2024. These revisions were designed to enhance fairness, consistency, and transparency in sentencing, and addressed longstanding concerns about certain sentencing practices. Below, we highlight the four biggest changes. Acquitted Conduct in Sentencing Previously, judges could use acquitted conduct […]
Key Amendments to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Coming in November
Earlier this year, the United States Sentencing Commission announced that it will issue crucial amendments to the United States Sentencing Guidelines. These amendments, set to take effect on November 1, 2023, will have an important impact on federal sentencing decisions. This post highlights two of these changes regarding criminal history: calculation of “status points” and […]
5 Common Mistakes & Insider Tips for Choosing the Best Federal Defense Law Firm
It doesn’t matter whether you are at the opening stages of a “routine” audit or federal agents have raided your offices, whether you think you are completely in the clear, or you are certain that you are guilty. From now on, every decision you make needs to account for the government’s investigation. This is a […]
Why We Should Thank Defense Attorneys for Defending Criminals–by Matt Howell
Matt Howell is a former federal prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a civil litigator. This piece he wrote, which I reprint in its entirety below is, in my opinion, one of the most cogent answers to that oft-asked question fielded by a criminal defense attorney: “How can you represent somebody like that?” Answer By Matt […]
