Monthly Archives: January 2019
“Gay and Transgender Panic Defense” Could Soon No Longer Be Available To Criminal Defendants
The “gay and transgender panic” criminal defense has been around for a long time, dating back to homosexuality being listed in the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders. Extremely controversial, the defense effectively allows a murder conviction to be downgraded to manslaughter, negligent homicide, or another lesser charge if the defendant claims that they suffered… Read More »
Federal Sentencing Bill Proposes Drastic Changes to Sentencing for Drug Offenses
The First Step Act—Congress’ first attempt at prison sentencing reform for federal crimes—has passed the House, and the Senate is now being called upon to hold a vote by the end of December. The bill has been five years in the making, and has drawn criticism from some of the most conservative lawmakers, who… Read More »
The Link Between Domestic Violence and Murder
The Washington Post recently ran a story on domestic violence/family violence offenses and the fact that half of all women killed in the past decade were killed by a former intimate partner; a third of which were known to be a potential threat ahead of any attacks. According to the Post’s investigation, in a… Read More »
When Defamation & Free Speech Turns Into a Crime
While many people assume that defamation is an issue for civil court, in fact, a number of states also have laws that make defamation a criminal act, including in Florida. In Florida, any person convicted of the publication of libel is guilty of a first degree misdemeanor, and that includes the owner or editor… Read More »