Posts by Drew Cochran

Anyone who grew up suffering through marathon Monopoly games with their siblings (while one player invariably stole $20s from the bank) likely knows a thing or two about bail. But if you or someone you love find yourself in need of bail money – perhaps for stealing from an actual bank – you do not…

Well folks, we have another one. A case where someone is accused of a crime that sounds so far-fetched that you have to wonder if it’s real or if it’s part of the plot of a TV sitcom. According to an article on CNYCENTRAL.com, a woman in Upstate New York is accused of stealing an…

Being arrested and charged with a crime can be terrifying – regardless of whether or not you are guilty. But what if you’ve been arrested and are in jail awaiting your trial when a global pandemic hits and the wheels of justice suddenly stop turning? Now you’re facing the possibility of a criminal conviction –…

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I love a good cop procedural, and movies about criminal shenanigans. I’m especially fond of The Sting, because you can’t put Redford, Newman, and Shaw in a movie and NOT have it be wonderful. So in case you were wondering, heck yeah I’m…

As a criminal defense lawyer, I spend a lot of time arguing with cops. It comes with the job. People think we’re on opposite sides of the law, but that’s not really true. We’re both supposed to be upholding the laws, even if we do it in different ways. So when police officers suddenly find…

Whether you’re into DC or Marvel, movies or comics, we can all agree on one basic idea: superheroes are awesome. It’s a fun fantasy, the idea of some super-powered, ultra-moral person above the agendas and borders of modern law and society, saving people and defeating evil. Usually there’s spandex involved. No one’s allowed to question…

The right to a fair trial with a jury of your peers has been upheld in this country for centuries. Almost every citizen over 18 in the country has been summoned to jury duty at some point in their lives, even if they get dismissed for whatever reason before they enter the court. That being…

There are a handful of ways you can get out of prison: you can serve your time in full, you can receive a full pardon, or you can get out early on parole. In some cases, however, a judge might suspend your sentence and put you on probation instead. On October 1, 2016, the Justice Reinvestment…