Criminal Law

Federal Safety Valve in Drug Cases Have you or someone you know been charged with a federal offense with little or no criminal history that commit non-violent or non-managerial drug crimes? The Safety Valve Provision of the United States Sentencing Commission (“USSC”) allows for certain cases to not require the statutory minimum required by the USSC. These cases include: The defendant who does not have more than one (1) criminal history point; The defendant did…

A quick look at consecutive versus concurrent sentencing Whenever somebody is convicted of multiple offenses – whether they arise out of the same incident or different cases – the determination needs to be made on whether the sentences will run concurrently or consecutive to one another.  If they run concurrent, the sentences will overlap and be served at the same time. Consecutive sentences, on the other hand, require one to finish before the other begins….

License Reinstatement Fees and Other Common License Suspension Issues Do you have a laundry list of suspensions and unpaid tickets that you have neglected to take care of over the past 5, 10 or even 20 years due to more pressing issues going on in your life? Are you now ready to take care of your license and get it back to valid but don’t know where to start? Hiring an attorney who is experienced…

A Quick Look at Bond Revocation Hearings Most people have heard of bond or bail — in fact, most people can name the different types of bond such as cash, surety, personal recognizance, etc. While a bond is an amazing thing–it is a mechanism to keep you out of custody while your case is pending–it can be a fragile thing. It is a tool that the courts and prosecutors use as leverage if and when they decide to…

Are you or someone you know undergoing a potential grand jury proceeding or facing an indictment? Need help understanding what it all means? This blog will go through the different terms and procedures that most often occur in the indictment and grand jury process. Grand juries are very laid back as compared to typical pre-trial court settings. Most times there is not a judge or defense attorney present and it is just the prosecutor and…

Criminal Legal Process Common Terms In today’s blog we look at some of the commonly used terms and parties that are part of the process of a criminals case.  Look at is as a practical definition of each item.  Many times the parties involved in the criminal process forget that someone that is arrested is experiencing the process for the first time, we will try to simplify and make the system a bit more understandable….

Statute of Limitations on Criminal Offenses in Indiana Worried that you’ve done something that may result in criminal charges being filed against you?  For most crimes, there is a limit on how much time can pass between when the crime was committed and when charges are filed.  If the State of Indiana waits too long to file charges then they are barred from prosecution and the person cannot then be held criminally liable for the…

What Happens At a Sentencing Hearing in Indiana? There are many situations where someone can be facing a sentencing hearing. Sentencing hearings typically happen after a trial or plea when a person has already been determined guilty, or after a violation of probation has been determined and the next step is to argue the potential sentence a person must serve. A sentencing hearing is one of the most important stages of any criminal proceeding as…