Federal Criminal Law Blog

Inadvertently highlighting the criminal justice system's inability to deal with mental illness, a three justice panel of the Ninth Circuit determined that the Bureau of Prisons cannot forcibly medicate Jared Lee Loughner with psychotropic drugs.... Read More

Until last week, James "Whitey" Bulger had been on the lam for 16 years.  Facing allegations of 19 mob-related murders, Bulger was on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted List.  As the Winter Hill Gang leader, Bulger became an legendarily untouchable crime boss through extortion, racketeering, murder, drug trafficking, and theft.  ... Read More

Last week, the Supreme Court held that sentencing courts cannot impose or lengthen a prison term in order to foster a defendant’s rehabilitation.  In an case from the Southern District of California, defendant Alejandra Tapia was convicted of smuggling unauthorized aliens into the United States.  The District Court sentenced Tapia to 51 months, citing Tapia’s need for drug treatment.  However, the Supreme Court reversed the decision and held that sentencing... Read More