Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty. Here’s What Happens Next.
When someone pleads guilty to intentionally killing another person, with premeditation, in broad daylight, it’s hard to imagine anything other than a life sentence. But that’s not the end of the story for Luigi Mangione, because his federal guilty plea is a “no agreements” plea. That means no sentencing stipulations, no mandatory minimums, and full…
BOP 2026: Crumbling, Weaponized, but (Finally) Wired?
Prison isn’t meant to be easy and being inside is punishment. If every incarcerated human has a fair designation process, safe infrastructure, and meaningful programming, then safety and rehabilitation happens. But in two stunning developments, two things are now unequivocally clear: the facilities are crumbling, and the designation process can now be weaponized by the…
The Process is the Punishment: Hannah Dugan Sentencing Post-Mortem
The Fate of John Bolton: Trump Doesn’t Just Pick Who’s Prosecuted — Now He Picks Your Prison, Too
Ambassador John Bolton pled guilty last week to mishandling classified information, and the plea includes a stipulation that if he receives prison, the term is no more than five years. On paper, this agreement reads like a win. But the plea isn’t the paper that matters most, because the same week Bolton signed his plea,…
Manifest Injustice: Hunter, Hemani, & Buh-Bye Blanche
🎙️ NEW EPISODE: The Supreme Court just moved the goalposts on federal sentencing — and the next AG fight starts now. If federal defendants could trust that pleading guilty meant a predictable outcome, then the system would actually function the way it’s sold to them. ⚖️ But SCOTUS just complicated that bargain. In Hunter, it…
New Compassionate Release Cases: Is the Door to Freedom Shrinking?
With the First Step Act of 2018 came the great hope of expanded grounds and use of “Compassionate Release.” Judges were offered the promise of wider discretion to give deserving clients a second look at sentencing. But, the Supreme Court just made compassionate release a whole lot harder to get, because in two back-to-back decisions…
The Truth About Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases with Ashley Adams, Esq.
Restitution is often imposed to compensate crime victims for their losses. Done correctly, it can help victims recover and allow offenders to move on after serving their sentence. However, defense attorneys sometimes overlook restitution issues, resulting in burdensome payment orders. These can extend prison time and hinder reintegration after release, making restitution effectively a lifelong…