Blog

40 Plus Years of Experience: Richard S. Berne

40 Plus Years of Experience: Richard Berne We may all find ourselves in a legal bind at some point in our life. When that time is at hand, you will need someone in your corner. A criminal defense attorney can take the burden off your shoulders and fight your legal battles with you to secure… Read more »

Draconian Sentencing in Drug Cases

  As a result of the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980’s, Congress imposed draconian maximum sentences on all drug-related statutes. Draconian meaning excessively harsh and severe consequences that can be traced back to Draco the Athenian who gave heavy punishments for small offenses. The Congress also implemented the Federal Sentencing Guideline regimen that also… Read more »

3 Ways You Can Lose Your Firearm in Maine

The State of Maine has a strong and enduring tradition of the right to own and possess firearms for protection, sport, and hunting.  Unfortunately, there are many situations that can lead to the loss of this right, as well as prosecution.  If you feel that your Maine gun rights are in jeopardy, or that you… Read more »

Domestic Violence Charges

Domestic Violence Charges The Tragic Cycle of Domestic Violence. As a Maine criminal defense attorney, Richard S. Berne has first-hand experience with the tragedy that is domestic violence. Based upon related studies, volatile relationships follow a cycle that can begin and complete in less than 24 hours, or continue over a period of weeks or… Read more »

How Domestic Abuse Convictions Lead to a Ban on Firearms

In certain cases, defendants who have been convicted of even misdemeanor domestic abuse can be barred by law from owning or possessing firearms.  The relevant laws and statutes seek to protect victims of domestic abuse from exposure to further or more serious harm. Maine adheres to the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban, based upon the… Read more »

Client was not charged after a several year major federal white collar fraud investigation of an international business venture by the US Attorney’s Offices in Connecticut and Maine.

His partner in the business venture was indicted, tied and sentenced to several years incarceration. Similarly we achieved a deferred prosecution agreement and ultimately dismissal of all charges in a recent state investigation of a client for theft of computer information from his employer. In other federal white collar matters we obtained a sentence of… Read more »

Client in a multi defendant several thousand plant marijuana case received 6 months as opposed to the other defendants who received in excess of 10 years imprisonment.

We were able to persuade federal prosecutors in Vermont to dismiss the indictment against our client in a multi-state federal drug conspiracy where the other defendants received multi-year prison terms. We have obtained dismissals, misdemeanor dispositions and/or non-custodial sentences in numerous state felony drug prosecutions including involving large quantities of heroin and cocaine. These results… Read more »