As a former U.S. Attorney with a criminal justice career that spans decades, I find it remarkable that some in the legal profession are already willing to close the case on the FBI warrant to search former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home based on the heavily redacted affidavit. The unredacted portions of the affidavit attempt...
The long-awaited release of the “affidavit” of probable cause in support of the Trump raid is finally here. Oh, there are plenty of redactions; more than 20 out of 38 pages are full or partial redactions. Even the list of reasons for the redactions is completely redacted except for a couple of “Agent Safety” references....
Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, yet policymakers are scrambling to explain the series of missed warning signs and communication failures that led to the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park. Much like 9/11, when law enforcement agencies had information prior to that tragedy but failed to cohesively communicate, mass...
Former federal prosecutor Brett Tolman said Friday on “Fox & Friends First” Attorney General Merrick Garland should resign if the Justice Department is not going to enforce laws to protect Supreme Court justices. “It is playing with fire,” he said. “And the attorney general right now should either resign or enforce the law impartially. And that includes enforcing...
Virginia Democrats made a critical error this month by playing partisan games and voting down four qualified candidates nominated to the Virginia Parole Board. In so doing, the Democrats have all but killed the critically needed overhaul of the parole system in Virginia. The momentum for bipartisan support of public scrutiny and more transparency ended suddenly as...
Conservative leaders have a duty to govern with a bold commitment to the principles that best serve our citizens and communities. In 2018, the voters of Oklahoma put their confidence in Kevin Stitt who received more votes than any gubernatorial candidate in Oklahoma history. In just three short years, Stitt has proven that evidence-based policy...
The idea of being alone evokes a special kind of dread for many people. Reams have been written on how to avoid this fate, and those who can’t tend to earn our sympathy. Unless, that is, they’re cut off from meaningful human contact because they’re one of the thousands of federal inmates held in solitary...
As the nation still processes the shock and horror of the tragedy at Oxford High School, the local Michigan prosecutor has wasted little time in bringing up the matter of accountability. Four young lives have been lost, and someone must be held responsible. But who? There is no real debate the alleged shooter must pay...
Thousands of cases a day go through our nation’s court systems, but most do not grab the headlines or scrutiny of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. The power and prejudice this prosecution is wielding should worry anyone who advocates for the fair administration of the rule of law. As experienced prosecutors who have handled high-profile criminal cases and made...
Cocaine probably isn’t what you would think of as a unifying policy topic but, in 2021, it’s bringing both sides of the aisle together at the federal level. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are faced with a decision to either support fair sentencing in federal crack and powder cocaine convictions, or continue to support an antiquated...
Last month, off-duty New Orleans Detective Everett Briscoe and his friend. Dyrin “DJ” Riculfy, were shot and killed during an aggravated robbery in Houston. The tragedy surrounding their slayings was only aggravated by the news that their suspected killers had been walking free on a combined six felony bonds, including cash-free bonds, a $40,000 bond for...
Conservative criminal justice reformers have faced occasional skepticism over our tried-and-true criminal justice solutions, but never something quite so outlandish as a recent suggestion, by an avowed conservative, no less, that conservative reformers somehow bear blame for rising violent crime in liberal bastions such as New York City and Portland. Sean Kennedy, in his recent Washington Examiner article ,...