9th Cir Related Insights & Resources

Do we execute prisoners despite constitutional defects in the trial? The Supreme Court gives a silent answer in Crawford v. Mississippi. If you tell your lawyers not to admit you did it—and they do it anyway—does the Constitution guarantee you a new trial? And if that constitutional rule came after...

The Ninth Circuit's ruling in USA v. Holmes highlights a troubling trend in criminal trials—courts dismissing improper expert witness testimony as "harmless error." In Elizabeth Holmes' appeal, the court acknowledged errors in admitting expert-like testimony but upheld her conviction anyway. This article explores why relying on speculative harmless error rulings...

Uncover UNICOR’s (Federal Prison Industries) hidden practices—from forced inmate labor and no-bid contracts to its impact on American jobs. Learn how this government-run corporation raises serious ethical and constitutional concerns.

Julian Assange was indicted in 2019 by the Trump Administration and will now be released pending sentencing. He is likely to receive time served under a deal stuck with the Biden Administration. Assange is the Wikileaks founder and was involved in conspiring with Chelsea Manning to disclose top secret material.

Since United States Watts Federal district courts have used acquitted conduct at sentencing to increase the guidelines of a federal defendant over the objection of a federal criminal defense attorney. Soon, the doctrine will be eviscerated either by the Supreme Court of the United States or the United States Sentencing...

Securing acquittal in opioid prescribing or “pill mill” cases is a daunting task. Federal criminal defense attorney Ronald Chapman is

In Arizona v. Youngblood the Supreme Court determined that a defendant is only entitled to dismissal based on destruction of evidence where it can show “bad faith” on the part of the police officers. ContraFed breaks down decisions since Youngblood and an approach for a successful “bad faith” spoliation argument.

A Comprehensive Guide to Federal Criminal Defense (2025) Relief for Pardoned January 6th Defendants Relief for Pardoned January 6th Defendants Seeking a Lawsuit The sweeping pardons granted by President Donald Trump in 2025 to numerous January 6th defendants have raised questions about how those defendants might obtain additional relief beyond...

Understanding Federal Crimes in the United States The landscape of American criminal law is intricately divided between federal and state jurisdictions, each with its own set of rules, procedures, and offenses. This article delves into the nuances of federal crimes, exploring their distinction from state offenses, the roles of the...

Fight the Feds Book Notes List Fight the Feds Footnotes Here you will find all of the cases, documents, and resources linked in Fight the Feds: Unraveling Federal Criminal Investigations. [1] McVeigh later expedited his death sentence and was quickly executed despite the Justice Department notifying defense counsel that it...