Amber Gordon, Attorney at Law

02/22/2023

A federal appeals court ruled that a car passenger had a First Amendment right to livestream a traffic stop.

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a car passenger had a First Amendment right to livestream a traffic stop in in Winterville, North Carolina.

02/17/2023

Many criminal cases will end in a plea agreement, rather than go to trial. But in some instances, the defense lawyer can even get the charges tossed before trial, using a motion to dismiss. Many circumstances can justify a motion to dismiss, and a criminal defense attorney can advise you if any apply in your situation.

02/15/2023

Dubious forensic techniques have spread throughout the criminal justice system for decades. https://bit.ly/3lbCq6E

Dubious forensic techniques have spread throughout the criminal justice system for decades. Here’s what ProPublica has learned about junk forensic science techniques and how they proliferate.

02/10/2023

Typically, when you serve a period of supervised release, you must meet with your parole officer periodically, and abide by the conditions of your release. If you do not, your parole could be revoked, which means you would return to prison.

02/02/2023

Police say a 6-year-old student shot his teacher at a Virginia elementary school on Friday, and authorities face a difficult and uncomfortable question: How should they prosecute a crime committed by a first-grader?

Although Virginia law does not set a minimum age for criminal prosecution, the traditional principles of criminal justice "don't really apply" when the offender is so young, one legal expert said.

01/31/2023

Before a criminal case goes to trial, the prosecutor and the defense have the opportunity to make pretrial motions. These motions can affect many issues at trial, from what evidence can be introduced to which charges will be tried. An experienced attorney can suggest which motions could be useful to your case and file them on your behalf.

01/10/2023

Experts warn that a method for 911 call analysis is unreliable, but that hasn’t stopped some prosecutors from deploying it in court to win convictions.

Tracing the fallacy of 911 call analysis through the justice system, from Quantico to the courtroom.

01/08/2023

Not every prison sentence is served entirely behind bars. If you are granted parole, you are released from prison early, but remain under supervision for the rest of your sentence. During this time, you must abide by the conditions of your parole, or risk going back to prison. Not everyone is eligible for parole, and being granted parole is not guaranteed. If you have questions about the parole laws in your state, consider speaking with an attorney.

01/03/2023

In courtrooms across America, defendants get additional prison time for crimes that juries found they didn't commit. The Supreme Court is being asked, again, to put an end to the practice.

In courtrooms across America, defendants get additional prison time for crimes juries found they didn’t commit

12/30/2022

A new rule allowing the Federal Communications Commission to regulate the rates of prison phone calls is one step closer to becoming law.

A new law, which would allow the FCC to regulate the price of phone calls from prison, just needs President Joe Biden’s signature.

12/28/2022

In Smith v. United States, the high court will consider whether hacking defendant Timothy J. Smith can be retried after a trial in the wrong venue. The Sixth Amendment provides that criminal defendants have the right to a speedy and public trial “by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide two cases involving criminal defendants and their rights under the Sixth Amendment.

12/24/2022

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland instructed federal prosecutors to end disparities in the way they charge offenses involving crack co***ne and powder co***ne.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland instructed federal prosecutors on Friday to end disparities in the way they charge offenses involving crack co***ne and powder co***ne.