Criminal Defense Blog

Christopher Zoukis, JD | February 15, 2022 | Crime and Justice

When the FBI, lawyers, and news organizations refer to white-collar crimes, they are talking about crimes committed by businesses and organizations that violate public trust.  White-collar refers to the respected jobs where employees once dressed in managerial garbs, such as white shirts with ties. If you are accused of committing a white-collar crime, you are suspected […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | December 27, 2018 | News

On October 18, 2018, the Washington Supreme Court fundamentally transformed juvenile justice through State v. Bassett, categorically declaring juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) unconstitutional under the state constitution. This landmark decision didn’t merely limit these sentences—it eliminated them entirely, establishing Washington as the national leader in protecting youth offenders from irredeemable punishment. For families navigating the […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | December 20, 2018 | Advocacy and Reform

The school to prison pipeline represents a disturbing national trend where children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems through harsh disciplinary policies and increased police presence in schools. Drawing from federal data, Department of Justice reports, academic research, and civil rights analyses, this comprehensive examination reveals how […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | August 27, 2018 | Crime and Justice

In 1930, the French scientist Edmond Locard published a journal article in which he laid the groundwork for what would become the field of forensic science. Locard said a criminal actor will always leave traces of his or her presence at a crime scene and will always leave traces of the scene on his or […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | August 10, 2018 | Prison Life

During a heatwave in the summer of 2017, dozens of protesters gathered outside the Medium Security Institution in St. Louis, Missouri. They chanted “Shut it down,” after a video showing prisoners at the jail begging for relief from soaring temperatures went viral. But in Texas and elsewhere, prisoners have taken their complaints of extreme – […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | February 23, 2018 | Criminal Legal News

A rogue police officer from the Edison, New Jersey’s police department has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following his guilty plea to a string of violent offenses, including the firebombing of his boss’s house. Michael Dotro was an Edison cop for 10 years before his arrest and conviction. During that time, according to the Middlesex […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | February 8, 2018 | Prison Life

Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team physician, is now serving an extended sentence in federal prison for criminal sexual conduct, child pornography, and sexual abuse charges. As part of his plea agreement, Lawrence Gerard Nassar will face a lifetime behind bars, locked away in a high-security federal prison. Here we delve into the details […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | December 24, 2017 | Educational Programs

Concerned citizens began the first American prison system in Pennsylvania in 1787, and a clergyman, William Rogers, was the first educator. Since then, there has been an ongoing national debate concerning what we should do with wrongdoers, including whether the criminal justice system should focus solely on punishment, rehabilitation, or a measure of both. One […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | November 18, 2017 | Prison Life

As someone who regularly writes for publications from prison, I’m often asked what the legal parameters of such conduct are. Typically, this discussion starts with a prisoner’s family member contacting me and expressing that they have been told that their incarcerated loved one is not allowed to publish any articles, blog posts, or books because […]

Christopher Zoukis, JD | September 20, 2017 | Prison Life

Inmate employment is a requirement within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Except for those inmates who have been designated medically unable to work by Health Services or Psychology Services, all federal prisoners must maintain some form of employment throughout their incarceration. While most inmates will work within the confines of a federal prison, some minimum […]