Report Undercuts Claims Of Civil Asset Forfeiture Proponents

In Blog by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. Any discussion of the police tactic/tool known as civil asset forfeiture might logically begin with a nod to its sheer magnitude. Reportedly, state and federal law enforcers have employed forfeiture against a ballpark figure of 10 million people across the United States The spoils they have reaped through doing so are inarguably impressive. In fact, they are stunning in their dimensions. It is estimated that authorities have taken more than $50 billion from Americans via the forfeiture process. We described the tactic and noted those numbers in a …

Some Head Scratching Re Missouri’s Medicinal Pot Program

In Blog by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. “Santa Claus doesn’t bring it.” That is unquestionably true. Because if he did and was questioned by Missouri law enforcers, he’d likely be arrested. Today’s blog post topic is medicinal marijuana, which Missouri lawmakers legalized late last year. Reform advocates are enthralled … and confused. Here’s why they feel a bit muddled. On the one hand, would-be manufacturers duly licensed by the state to grow pot for medical use are psyched to get going. On the other hand, they need seeds to commence operations, and obtaining them from …

White Collar Crime: Dive Down Into Tougher Proposed Legislation

In White Collar Crimes by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in White Collar Crimes on Thursday, May 16, 2019. Any claim that state and federal investigative efforts into white collar crime are lax when compared with other criminal realms has long been debunked. White collar malfeasance in Missouri and nationally has in fact been a major focus of authorities for several years running. We prominently note in our Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry May 10 blog post that there is a “spotlight on corporate wrongdoing, specifically executives’ alleged acts of financial fraud.” Public opinion broadly perceives that entry-level and intermediate-tier employees are routinely punished for alleged acts of white …

Already Spotlighted Criminal Sphere Now Receives Even Closer Focus

In White Collar Crimes by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in White Collar Crimes on Friday, May 10, 2019. There’s no question that the legal realm of white collar crime has received progressively more attention in recent years in Missouri and nationally. That has been especially true since the meltdown of the nation’s financial markets a few short years ago. The aftermath of that frightful scare put a marked spotlight on corporate wrongdoing, specifically executives’ alleged acts of financial fraud. A growing public sentiment over the past decade has coalesced around a belief that, while rank-and-file company workers (e.g., lower-level employees and middle managers) are being …

Commanding Attention: Public Release Of Police Misconduct Records

In Drug Crimes by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. This study will likely resonate. Lots of research efforts focus on police practices and performance across the United States. Collectively speaking, there are unquestionably hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of pages devoted to that subject matter online and on library shelves. Reporters from a national media publication are now adding a few more. OK, a lot more. In fact, a tandem team of researchers from USA Today and a nonprofit group have reportedly just concluded a year-plus effort “creating the biggest collection of police misconduct …

Recent Missouri Firearms Case Broadly Instructive

In Drug Crimes by RSF

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

In Violent Crimes by RSF

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?

In Drug Crimes by RSF

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

In Drug Crimes by RSF

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 …

Why Misdemeanor Crime Needs To Be Seriously Reconsidered

In Drug Crimes by RSF

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Drug Crimes on Monday, March 25, 2019. The War on Crime. The War on Drugs. Dangerous felons. Truly violent offenders. Citizens at risk. Such tags are evocative, and they have unquestionably colored the public’s perceptions regarding crime in the United States over many decades. Based on such wording and imagery, it is small wonder that legions of Americans think that a horde of marauders is at the door. In fact, reality paints a quite different picture, and Greg Berman is quite happy to sketch it. Berman is the director of the nonprofit criminal justice reform …