By William James | Published July 15, 2021 | Posted in Criminal Law | Tagged Tags: federal criminal case, gun crimes, nullification, weapons laws | Comments Off on Arkansas Governor Approves Bill Purporting to Nullify Federal Gun Laws
A law approved by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in April and set to take effect at the end of July is aimed at preventing state and local law enforcement officers from enforcing new and future federal gun laws that “infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms.” Under the new law, House Bill Read More
Read MoreThe recent case of a Hot Springs husband and wife shows the severity of the mandatory minimum penalties that federal law imposes for drug trafficking — the manufacture, transportation or distribution of controlled substances. The case also shows that drug possession alone can amount to trafficking in certain circumstances. Law enforcement officers executing a search Read More
Read MoreArkansas is one of only three states that do not have a hate crime law on the books, but that soon may change. On November 16, 2020, a group of legislators introduced a bipartisan bill that would increase prison sentences where crimes are proven to have a discriminatory motive. The move came three months after Read More
Read MoreDriving while intoxicated is one of the most frequently ticketed offenses in Arkansas and it is vigorously prosecuted. Conviction of DWI can mean jail time, fines and license suspension. Repeat DWI offenders are subject to significantly stiffer penalties. Recognizing that many repeat DWI offenders have substance dependency issues such as alcohol, drugs or both, several Read More
Read MoreIf you are about to be placed on probation, you need to realize that your life is about to change. You will have to conduct your life with the understanding that your probation officer holds a great deal of power over you and your future. While on probation, you are subject to conditions and restrictions Read More
Read MoreDrug offenders are punished severely in the Arkansas criminal court system. However, recognizing that many defendants in drug cases suffer from underlying mental disorders or addictions, Arkansas has created drug courts, modeled on similar ones across the United States. A drug court program seeks to reduce the number of repeat drug offenders that appear in Read More
Read MoreArkansas is the only state in the country that still has a criminal eviction statute. The law, passed in 1901, permits landlords to file criminal complaints against tenants who have not paid their rent. If you are even one day late with your rent, the landlord can serve a notice on you demanding you vacate Read More
Read More“Assault and battery” is a term commonly used to describe a criminal physical attack. However, assault and battery are treated as two distinct crimes in Arkansas. An assault is an intentional act that puts the victim in fear of imminent physical harm. This must be more than a verbal threat; there must be a physical Read More
Read MoreThe consequences of a conviction — even for a crime you might think of as minor — are real and sometimes surprising. For example, you can be charged with a minor criminal offense for keeping your library books too long in Arkansas, but if you have enough valuable library books overdue at the same time, Read More
Read MoreLike it or not, possession of marijuana is still illegal in Arkansas and there are substantial penalties, depending on whether you were holding the drug for personal use or for resale and whether you have a prior record. On the lowest end, possession of four ounces or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor, which can Read More
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