A Houston, Texas, man has been charged with possession of a banned bump stock. He is believed to be the first person in the U.S. charged with this crime. Bump stocks have been banned since last March following the Parkland, Florida, shooting. The ban was effected through an executive order…
Ann Arbor Criminal Defense Blog
First Alleged Outer Space Crime
Astronaut Anne McClain is being accused of the first ever crime committed in space. McClain, who is currently married to Summer Worden, is accused of logging into Worden’s personal bank account while aboard the International Space Station (ISS). She is not accused of taking money from the account, however. McClain…
Michigan Bans E-Flavored Cigarettes
Michigan is the first state to legally ban flavored E-cigarettes. Governor Gretchen Whitmer states the ban will prohibit sales of flavored E-cigarette products in stores and online. This does not apply to flavoreless nicotine E-cigarettes. This is the result of the Michigan administrative rules process. The ban will be effective…
Ghost Ship Trial Ends With One Acquittal, One Hung Jury
The Ghost Ship was a warehouse in Oakland, California, where an artist collective resided. During a party, a fire started and 36 people died. many people who lived in the Ghost Ship did so in violation of zoning laws. The case became a spotlight for a city’s failure to enforce…
Texas Rolls Back Gun Laws
Texas enacted a series of new of new firearms laws which will loosen current restrictions. Below is a list of the new laws: House Bill 1143 – School districts cannot ban licensed gun owners from keeping a gun or ammunition in their vehicles on school grounds. The school district cannot…
What is the Ohio Aisha’s Law?
Lance Mason plead guilty to the murder of his ex-wife Aisha Fraser. Mason fatally stabbed Fraser in November of 2018. Mason was a former Cuyahoga County judge in Cleveland, Ohio. Fraser, a school teacher, was killed by Mason when she dropped off the couple’s children at his home. In 2015…
Leaving Children Alone in Cars – Crime or Accident?
It is so easy to be angry at a parent when a child is hurt from being left alone in a hot car. Getting angry is understandably our first impulse. But what if these cases are truly accidents? Case studies show that these accidents are very human to make. The…
Meek Mill Wins Appeal To Get New Trial
The rapper Meek Mill may finally get out of the legal quagmire that has snagged him for over a decade. This Wednesday, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania granted Meek Mill a new trial and a new judge following a 2008 conviction. That conviction stemmed from a 2007 arrest in which…
What Will Happen To Marijuana Convictions Now That It’s Legal?
A new Michigan bill would provide relief to people with low-level marijuana misdemeanor convictions. This includes convictions for marijuana use and possession of small amounts of marijuana. This law would automatically erase those convictions – people wouldn’t be forced to go through a court process to erase the convictions The…
Federal Government To Resume Death Penalty Executions
It’s been 16 years since the federal government has carried out an execution. President Obama called for a review of execution policy and procedures following a botched 2014 execution in Oklahoma. The Department of Justice has said that review is completed and executions will resume. A new procedure for lethal…