Parole was abolished in the federal criminal system in 1984. I was in federal court today in Natchez, Mississippi, in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge David Bramlette, and Judge Bramlette mentioned during a hearing that at least 80% of the lawyers who appear before him do not know that there is no parole in [...]

Yes.  Most certainly. I have discussed the distinction between federal and state crimes here.  As you see, the state of Mississippi is divided into two federal districts, and your lawyer must be admitted to practice before the federal court in the district where your case is pending, or at least must get permission to practice there.  More [...]

When you are arrested on federal charges, one of the first things that will happen to you is that you will be taken in front of a federal magistrate judge for an “initial appearance.”  If the government wants to keep you in jail until your trial, the prosecutor will ask the court to detain you – [...]

The Assimilative Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 13) is the law that allows the federal government to use state law to prosecute offenses committed on federal government land or in federally owned buildings.  When a criminal offense has been committed on land or buildings that have been reserved or acquired by the federal government, and the [...]

If you are accused of committing a crime in Mississippi, you will be involved with the state court system, or the federal court system.  If you are having really bad luck, they will tag-team you and you will get to experience both at the same time.  Federal courts are very different than state courts. Your court [...]