In the peak of the “get tough on crime” years, the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. This was the biggest overhaul of the criminal code in decades. One provision included the […]
In the peak of the “get tough on crime” years, the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. This was the biggest overhaul of the criminal code in decades. One provision included the […]
Samuel Johnson was being monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation related to his involvement with a white-supremacist organization. During the investigation, an undercover agent said Johnson talked about counterfeiting money, producing napalm and other explosives, and showed the agent an […]
Harris & Carmichael, PLLC provided testimony to the Senate Courts of Justice Committee in support of pending legislation that affects whether defendants facing marijuana charges will have their driver’s licenses suspended. After a committee vote on February 3, the bill was […]
On January 11, 2016, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Armstrong v. Village of Pinehurst that the use of tasers by police can be excessive force under the Fourth Amendment. Specifically, the Fourth Circuit found that the Pinehurst, North Carolina police department’s […]
Yesterday in Montgomery v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court ruled that the prior Miller decision making life without parole (“LWOP”) sentences unconstitutional for juvenile defendants is retroactive. The import of this? All inmates who were sentenced as juveniles to life sentences, with no possibility […]
A Virginia man may be the first in the state to be prosecuted under federal hate crime charges for an assault based on the victim’s perceived sexual orientation. Virginia’s state laws do not provide a basis for hate-crime prosecution related […]
Have you ever wondered whether officers are allowed to lie in order to gain entry into your home? It is already well-established that they are allowed to lie in order to convince defendants to confess to a crime. However, an […]
Many of us are familiar enough with the constitutional protections that prevent the police from walking into your house and going through your things without a warrant. Given these protections from warrantless searches, it may be surprising to learn that […]
Do you use a password to lock your phone? Or do you use a fingerprint to unlock your phone through Touch ID technology? Many people think that a fingerprint would be more secure; however, it depends on who you are […]
Sentencing reform has taken a big step forward in reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders. The House Judiciary Committee has approved the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, which is now making its way to the House of Representatives. The bill will […]
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Descriptions and summaries about the attorneys’ prior cases and settlements found on this website are intended only to provide information about the activities and experience of our attorneys and should not be understood as a guarantee or assurance of future success in any matter. The results portrayed were dependent on a variety of facts and circumstances unique to the particular matters described. Past results are not a guarantee of future results, and the outcome of your particular case or matter cannot be predicted using a lawyer’s or law firm’s past results. Every case is unique and different and should be evaluated on its own merits, without comparison to other cases that may have had different facts and circumstances.