Author: Mick Mickelsen

Netflix Making a Murderer Why You Need an Experienced Federal Criminal Appeal Attorney

Leading Lawyer Mick Mickelsen Explains Why experience matter in Federal Criminal defense cases if you have been watching Netflix Making a Murderer! When you’re a criminal defendant, it’s normal to feel frightened about the outcome of your case. In a federal criminal appeal, however, the stakes are much higher. You’re asking the appellate court to…

Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Banning Sex Offenders from Social Media

Simply being accused of a sex-related offense is enough to derail their life. Sex offender registration laws vary from state to state, but they are almost uniformly tough and restrictive. In many cases, these laws dictate where an individual can live and work. Recently, one state attempted to stop registered sex offenders from using Facebook….

Getting Legal Help for Federal Immigration Offenses

Your decision to forego experienced legal help could hurt your chances of remaining in the United States. Federal immigration crimes have dominated news headlines lately. Here in Texas, proximity to Mexico naturally means that federal immigration-related offenses occur more frequently than in other parts of the country. If you’ve been charged with a federal immigration…

Inmates with Mental Illnesses Don’t Get the Treatment They Need Final

There are now three times more people with serious mental illness incarcerated in the United States than in hospitals. Are U.S. prisons criminalizing the mentally ill? That’s what a large number of criminal justice advocacy groups have stated — and their assertions are definitely backed up by the data. According to the Bureau of Justice…

Is the Automation of the Criminal Justice System a Good Thing

Technology often makes life easier, but is it always a good thing? Computers have become such an integral part of daily life that it’s hard to imagine life without them. It’s also hard to believe that just a few decades ago there was no email or internet. Today, however, technology plays a major role in…

Can You Be Charged with Failing to Report a Crime on Facebook Live

The question of mandatory reporting gets murkier when the alleged crime takes place online. The brutal sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl on Facebook Live in March 2017 is raising important questions about whether individuals who view a live stream of a criminal act should be held criminal responsible for failing to report it. According…

supreme court

The law is constantly changing when it comes to mobile phones and other technology. Before smartphones, you usually had to tell someone where you were out in the world. Today, smartphone technology makes it possible for friends and loved ones to see exactly where you’re located. Of course, if friends and family can see your…

Should Texas “Raise the Age” of Criminal Responsibility to 18

Criminal justice experts have stated that treating teenagers as adults in the criminal justice system is detrimental for both the young people involved and the states. In Texas, along with a handful of other states, 17-year-olds accused of criminal offenses are automatically tried as adults. Texas lawmakers have introduced two bills that propose raising the…

Stats from the Safety and Justice Challenge

The organization has published some startling statistics that show just how critical a problem the country’s incarceration rate has become. Funded by a $100 million investment from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Safety and Justice Challenge was created to reduce over-incarceration in the United States. The organization has published some startling…

SCOTUS Might Hear Double Jeopardy Case

The Court’s decision is likely to have a significant impact on the dual sovereignty exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause. Double jeopardy is a subject most people have heard of but don’t always fully understand. According to news reports, the Supreme Court of the United States may be set to hear a double jeopardy case…