On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Missouri arrests involving illegal drugs routinely yield starkly adverse consequences for defendants across the state. Those outcomes are often even more severe when a weapon is involved. That was underscored in a recent criminal matter that played out in the southeastern Missouri city of Kennett. An individual there was sentenced following a plea agreement to a 16-year prison term. He admitted to multiple counts of methamphetamine possession in an alleged drug-trafficking scheme, coupled with repeat firearms violations. One notable takeaway from the case stresses the sheer amount of …
Wrongful Conviction Data Simultaneously Encouraging Yet Dismal
On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Violent Crimes on Thursday, April 18, 2019. It’s always uplifting to hear that an innocent person languishing behind bars in Missouri or elsewhere is ultimately deemed innocent of a criminal charge and released from prison. It is alarming to note, though, how many times each year exoneration occurs. It occurs a lot. Moreover, many criminal law reformers and commentators state that the number of inmates freed from American prisons each year following a tardy determination of their innocence is far lower than it should be. That is, the exoneration figure does not really reflect with …
What’s Clearly On The Minds Of MO Lawmakers, Both Left And Right?
On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Thursday, April 11, 2019. Reform is in the air. To be more specific, it is strongly evident in a mass of legislation currently being fine-tuned and closely debated in Jefferson City. The Missouri capital is awash in reform initiatives that seek to materially adjust existing criminal laws and penalties. What is especially notable about a pile of would-be laws under consideration is their authorship. Suggestions espousing significant reforms across a broad spectrum are coming in from both sides of the political aisle, which spells a sharp divergence from the past. That is, …
Results From Expungement Study Render A Strong, Clear Conclusion
On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Thursday, April 4, 2019. A criminal conviction obviously yields multiple downsides. A felony charge in Missouri or elsewhere often brings a stringent behind-bars penalty. Indeed, even a comparatively minor misdemeanor offense can bring a months’-long jail term. And then there can be ancillary exactions to deal with as well for a defendant. Various costs and fees can be punitively high. Mandatory substance abuse classes, imposed community service, periodic drug testing, harsh probationary terms – all these and more collectively play a factor in the punishment equation. So too does the very fact …