|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
Columbus Criminal Defense Blog
Posted on Feb 1, 2012 By Brad Koffel
 I just finished 3 days of visiting therapeutic treatment centers in Utah with one of the country's leading educational consultants, Dr. Andy Erkis . We visited 2 Wilderness programs and 2 ...
Posted on Dec 20, 2011 By Brad Koffel
We are a nation of criminals. We lock up more of our own citizens than any other country in the world except China. A recent study in Pediatrics reports that 1/3 of our kids will be arrested before ... Continue reading "We Are a Nation of Criminals" »
Posted on Nov 30, 2011 By Brad Koffel
"Mike" came to our offices after learning he was being investigated for possession of child pornography. Under Ohio law, this crime is called Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor, a fourth ... Continue reading "Is There Child Porn on Your Computer? Do You Know What You Are Downloading?" »
Posted on Nov 28, 2011 By Rick Mahan, Investigator
If you were to poll 100 people on the street and ask them to describe a person who possesses child pornography, the majority will begin by saying "creepy old guys who drive non-descript white ... Continue reading "Possession of Child Porn: Who Are These Guys?" »
Posted on Nov 28, 2011 By Brad Koffel
In our firm, there are 2 types of DUI clients. The "I Can't Have a DUI on My Record" and the "I Don't Want a DUI on My Record". Which are you and why do we ask this ... Continue reading ""I Can't Have a DUI" or "I Don't Want a DUI"" »
Posted on Nov 15, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Community control on felony convictions is another phrase for probation. When a client is placed on a period of community control / probation, the period can be up to 5 years. Here is a list of what I ... Continue reading "Franklin County Adult Probation Department" »
Posted on Nov 14, 2011 By Brad Koffel
The states have started rolling back their "Tough on Crime" laws now that the true costs of incarcerating non-violent offenders are undisputable. Now it is time for Congress to do the same ... Continue reading "Reversal of Mandatory Sentencing" »
Posted on Nov 9, 2011 By Will Nesbitt
 Sex Offender Registration Pitfall "Charlie" came into our offices on a Monday morning. He had just returned from a five-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. The trip took a total of nine days, ...
Posted on Nov 9, 2011 By Brad Koffel
 One of the latest issues to hit the courts is the opiate addiction case. These types of cases are on the rise and no one is immune. We are seeing more highly educated professionals like doctors, ...
Posted on Nov 8, 2011 By Brad Koffel
What is "consent" between two college kids about to engage in sexual activity? Well, in criminal law, at least for now, "consent" may be manifested in any way that it actually ... Continue reading "Sex on Campus: "Verbal Consent" Part 1" »
Posted on Nov 6, 2011 By Brad Koffel
15,473,00. That's how many women sought out prescription sleep drugs. Just last year. That's just the women, not the men. This number doesn't include women who were prescribed anti-anxiety ... Continue reading "Moms, Ambien, Xanax & Stress" »
Posted on Nov 2, 2011 By Brad Koffel
In case you haven't noticed, here is what is happening in the land of expanded sexual registration. What started out as a well-intentioned idea to track sexual predators in the 1990's is ... Continue reading "Why Sexual Registration is Doomed for Failure" »
Posted on Oct 31, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Only 6% of criminal prosecutions wind up leading to a trial. 94% of the cases are settled between the prosecution, defense, and judge. That process, plea negotiations, is where the experience, wisdom ... Continue reading "The Critical Wisdom of an Effective Lawyer" »
Posted on Oct 28, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Today I resolved a case that is over 1 year old. My client and I are quite happy with the result. We drew a fantastic judge who sees the "big" picture that marijuana offenders do not need to ... Continue reading ""Weeds", "Breaking Bad" and Reality" »
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 By Fran Tosi Ward
Teenage boys beware of the girls you choose to have sex with as it can turn around and become your worst nightmare. We handle many date rape type cases in our offices. Recently, we have seen many ... Continue reading "Date Rape, Consent & Polygraphs" »
Posted on Sep 29, 2011 By Brad Koffel
I just finished representing a wonderful woman who was drug through the court system based upon the unethical and illegal conduct of her doctor. In Ohio, it is a felony to engage in "Deception to ... Continue reading ""Doctor Shopping" & Naive Detectives" »
Posted on Sep 28, 2011 By Brad Koffel
The death penalty needs to die. Forever. No clemency for it. No resurrection like 35 years ago when the US Supreme Court reinstituted it. By the way, it was struck down in 1972 because it was not ... Continue reading "Death Penalty Needs Executed" »
Posted on Sep 27, 2011 By Brad Koffel
I just finished reading an excellent article by Columbus, Ohio Psychologist, David Lowenstein, Ph.D., titled "Creating a Strong, Supportive Family". As a father of 4 young children, this ... Continue reading "The Modern Family: Drugs, Alcohol & Poor Emotional Health" »
Posted on Sep 26, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Every year we represent people who commit crimes that are naturally newsworthy. Many times I read about the case in the morning paper and get a call later that day. We try to get those clients into ... Continue reading "When the News Comes Knockin': Your Case is Going Public" »
Posted on Sep 25, 2011 By Brad Koffel
 I am a proponent of a texting ban in Ohio. As a civil libertarian, I tend to be against laws that tell us how to live our daily lives; however, texting while driving is just one of those activities ...
Posted on Sep 24, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Ohio was the first state in the country to require public shaming for a non-sex offense when it passed the law for yellow DUI plates. Public humiliation was common in the "mob justice" eras ... Continue reading "Public Humiliation: Ohio's Yellow DUI License Plates" »
Posted on Sep 13, 2011 By Brad Koffel
 There is much confusion among defense lawyers, prosecutors and judges as to the laws regulating the evidence in the coutroom where a defendant wishes to try a breath test to a judge or jury. In 1984, ...
Posted on Sep 12, 2011 By Brad Koffel
HB 86 also touches (albeit briefly) on the DUI / OVI code. Ohio's jails are chockful of non-violent offenders who can be punished without sitting in a jail cell. For the first time, Ohio is ... Continue reading "HB 86: New Jail Options for DUI / OVI Cases" »
Posted on Sep 11, 2011 By Brad Koffel
Nobody likes lawyers until they need one. This is especially true of criminal defense lawyers. I've seen the most suburban, conservative people turn into bleeding heart liberals the moment they ... Continue reading "9/11's Legacy to Criminal Defense Lawyers" »
Posted on Sep 10, 2011 By Brad Koffel
On September 30, 2011, HB 86 becomes law. In addition to many other major improvements to Ohio's criminal sentencing provisions, HB 86 expands the eligibility for this deferred prosecution ... Continue reading "HB 86: Intervention in Lieu of Conviction:" »
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|