📅 2026 Update: Recent Developments in Criminal Law

Since the earlier article was published, there have been significant changes in U.S. criminal law, particularly concerning initiatives aimed at addressing violent crime and fraud. These changes reflect ongoing efforts by federal agencies to improve public safety and enforce the law more effectively. The original article continues further down the page.

🚓 Operation Not Forgotten 2026

From April 1 to September 30, 2026, the Department of Justice and the FBI increased efforts to solve unresolved cases in Indian country. This initiative focused on violence against women and children. The operation resulted in 118 arrests, which is a 123% increase from 2025.

Additionally, 41 individuals faced federal charges, marking a 52% rise from the previous year.

🌆 Operation Safe Cities

Launched on March 20, 2024, Operation Safe Cities aims to strengthen federal prosecutions against violent criminals. This initiative targets those involved in commercial robberies, kidnappings, extortions, and gun offenses in the Central District of California. The focus is on reducing violent crime rates and ensuring accountability for offenders.

📉 HyperFund Case Developments

In July 2026, Rodney Burton received a sentence of 32 months in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme under the HyperFund initiative. This case highlights the government's commitment to tackling financial fraud and protecting investors from scams.

⛓️ Recent Sentencing Outcomes

On October 15, 2026, Aaron Hatfield was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. His sentencing was part of Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Neighborhoods, addressing serious drug trafficking offenses and illegal firearm possession. These efforts reinforce the legal system's response to drug-related crimes.

📌 Key Points Summary

  • 🚔 Operation Not Forgotten led to 118 arrests in Indian country.
  • 🌆 Operation Safe Cities focuses on violent crime in California.
  • 📉 Rodney Burton received 32 months for fraud.
  • ⛓️ Aaron Hatfield was sentenced to 14 years for drug trafficking.
  • 📊 Federal efforts continue to adapt to evolving crime trends.

💡 Practical Tips for Understanding Criminal Law

Review the details of your own situation with your attorney to understand how recent changes may affect you.

📜 Understand Recent Initiatives

Stay informed about initiatives like Operation Not Forgotten and Operation Safe Cities. These programs are designed to address specific crime types and can influence local law enforcement strategies.

🏛️ Know Your Court Fees

Be aware that as of May 28, 2026, the filing fee for civil cases in the Eastern District of New York is $405. This includes a $55 administrative fee.

👩‍⚖️ Compensation for Attorneys

If you are involved in a criminal case in the Northern District of Ohio, note that the maximum hourly rate for case management compensation is $177. This applies to both in-court and out-of-court services.

🚗 Mileage Reimbursement

For attorneys seeking reimbursement in the Northern District of Ohio, the mileage rate effective July 1, 2026, is $0.760 per mile. This rate can affect travel costs related to case management.

🕒 Keep Track of Sentencing Dates

Be mindful of deadlines related to sentencing. Recent cases, like those involving Rodney Burton and Aaron Hatfield, show the importance of being aware of potential sentencing outcomes and their implications.

🏆 Top Legal Services Ranked by User Reviews (2026)

This section highlights various legal services relevant to criminal law, focusing on their ratings and what they offer. The order is based on Trustpilot data checked in October 2026. Remember that star ratings are just one factor, as unhappy customers often leave more reviews, and sample sizes can differ.

🥇 1. LegalZoom

LegalZoom holds a Trustpilot score of 4.6. It is known for offering online legal document preparation, business formation services, and estate planning. However, some users report issues with customer service responsiveness, which can impact the overall experience when seeking assistance with legal matters.

🥈 2. LegalShield

LegalShield has been rated 4.5 by 9,222 reviewers. The service is recognized for its legal protection plans, access to attorneys, and identity theft protection. Despite its strengths, some users mention challenges with claim processing times, which could affect timely legal support.

🥉 3. Rocket Lawyer

With a Trustpilot score of 4.5, Rocket Lawyer provides online legal services, document creation, and access to legal advice. While many appreciate its convenience, there are occasional complaints about subscription billing practices that users should consider before signing up.

4️⃣ JustAnswer

JustAnswer averages 4.3. It offers 24/7 access to experts across various fields, making it a useful resource for legal inquiries. However, some users question the depth of advice provided, which may vary depending on the expert consulted.

5️⃣ LawDepot

LawDepot holds a Trustpilot score of 4.0. It is known for customizable legal document templates and affordable legal solutions. Some users find the interface less intuitive, which can affect the ease of use when creating legal documents.

🆓 Free Government and Nonprofit Options

Programs like Operation Not Forgotten and Operation Safe Cities provide free resources aimed at addressing violent crime. These initiatives collaborate with federal, tribal, and local law enforcement, offering support without cost to individuals impacted by crime.

🔎 Factors to Compare Legal Services

  • 📊 User Ratings: Check Trustpilot scores and review counts.
  • 📜 Service Offerings: Look for specific legal services relevant to your needs.
  • ⏱️ Response Times: Consider how quickly services respond to inquiries.
  • 💵 Cost Structure: Understand any fees or subscription costs involved.
  • 🆓 Free Options: Explore available free resources for legal assistance.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

❓ What is Operation Not Forgotten?

Operation Not Forgotten is an initiative aimed at addressing unresolved violent crimes in Indian country. It focuses on protecting women and children and has led to numerous arrests since its launch.

🔍 How do I file a civil case in New York?

To file a civil case in the Eastern District of New York, you must submit a complaint along with the filing fee to the Clerk’s Office. The current filing fee is $405, effective May 28, 2026.

⚖️ What are the compensation rates for attorneys in Ohio?

As of January 1, 2026, the maximum hourly rates for attorneys in criminal cases in the Northern District of Ohio are $177 for both in-court and out-of-court services.

🚗 How much can attorneys be reimbursed for mileage in Ohio?

The mileage reimbursement rate for attorneys in the Northern District of Ohio is $0.760 per mile, effective July 1, 2026. This can help offset travel expenses related to case management.

📅 What are the recent sentencing trends?

Recent sentencing trends show increased penalties for serious crimes, such as drug trafficking and violent offenses. For example, Aaron Hatfield received 14 years for his involvement in methamphetamine trafficking.

📈 How does community supervision cost compare to detention?

In fiscal year 2024, community supervision cost approximately $4,696 annually, while detaining a person before trial and incarcerating them post-conviction cost around $40,716 annually. This highlights the financial impact of different approaches to managing offenders.

⚖️ Recent Cases Related to Criminal Law

Recent court rulings reflect ongoing trends in criminal law related to violent crime and fraud. These cases showcase the legal system's efforts to address serious offenses and ensure justice is served.

For more information, feel free to browse more rulings on the news page.

End of October 2026 Update





Even though the world's first documented codes of laws, the Code of Ur-Nammu, surfaced as early as 2100 B.C. in the ancient Sumer civilization of the Mesopotamia region (modern-day Iraq), the history of felony charges within the American legal system can ultimately be traced back to the earliest developments of common law in England, sometime around the 14th Century. 

As a system built on evolving societal principles and past court decisions alike, common law is a fine balance of the rights of individuals and the interest of a greater community, one which has the possibility of being shaped and reshaped with time. It is a system based not on binding written legislation, like civil or statutory law, but rather on court cases and precedent, which take into account the circumstance of both the case at hand and the resolutions of similar cases which have preceded it. In this sense, each case, essentially, becomes part of the greater body of law.  

Felony charges were some of the first to be adapted into this legal structure, and originally a felony was used to describe a serious crime that resulted in a forfeiture of all assets, or in some cases, death. The term "felony" itself is taken from the old French words "felon" and "felonie," which implied a wicked person or an act of wickedness, respectively. 

A History of Felonies

While the exact implications associated with a felony may have certainly changed since felony charges were first issued, a felony has altogether remained somewhat the same in that it is considered the most serious of all crimes within the legal system and it is usually based on the willful intent to commit a crime. The first felony charges, in fact, were often described as crimes of "mens rea," a Latin phrase used to imply a "guilty mind." 

Today, a felony is  used to constitute a major criminal offense that results in over a year in prison or capital punishment, a monetary fine, or most often, both. Other punishments, such as community service, probation, mandatory rehabilitation programs, or a loss of rights- such as the right to vote or serve in the military- are also commonly affixed to felony charges. Less severe criminal offenses with less severe punishments attached are called misdemeanors and such charges usually imply that the fine is lower and prison time does not exceed one year. 

As is the nature of most crimes, each felony case will have a set of specific conditions which ultimately decides what punishment is accorded to the law offender. A rape and murder felony, for instance, will naturally hold a different punishment than an attempted burglary felony, much like an assault will be treated differently than a drug possession charge.

In the broadest sense, the severity of conviction is first based on whether or not the felony had any violence associated with it. For this reason, felony charges are separated into those crimes which are violent and those which are non-violent. The latter typically includes property offenses, like fraud, vandalism, and forgery, drug offenses, for both possession and distribution, and corporate, or white-collar, crimes. Violent felony charges, on the other hand, are comprised of manslaughter and murders, attempted murders, rapes, sexual and aggravated assaults, arson, armed robbery, and various degrees of theft. 

When there is an initial report of a crime, both violent and nonviolent, and authorities follow through with an arrest, police processing, and any bail proceedings, felony charges are officially brought against an individual during an arraignment or the first criminal court appearance. During this arraignment, the offender, called the "defendant," will be supplied with a lawyer. 

During this preliminary stage, bail is either set or dismissed, Constitutional rights and the felony charges are read to the defendant, and a date for the next court appearance is determined. If bail is available, a bond court decides the exact amount a defendant must pay in order to be released from jail while the felony charges are under investigation. 

During the next stage- a settlement conference, or often called a preliminary hearing- the defendant's lawyer works with authorities to either try and reach a plea bargain, or to get information for the defendant's defense before the pretrial hearing, during which time the prosecutor provides enough reasonable evidence to a judge to either support and go through with a felony charge, or have the case dismissed altogether based on insufficient "evidentiary standards." It is during this pretrial or preliminary hearing that felony charges can be dropped to far less severe misdemeanor charges. 

If felony charges persist, however, a second arraignment, a pretrial conference, and finally, motion hearings- all of which further establish both the defendant's plea and trial date, as well as any settlement options, new "discoveries" of the case, and potential witnesses- are set. Once this lengthy process is complete, only then does the actual felony trial occur.

Be it a violent or non-violent felony charge, both types are often further divided into more subsets, either by degrees or classes, based on both the severity of the crime committed and/or on the punishment attached. For the most part, each State typically assigns different felony levels, since most felony sentences are administered at a State-level. 

New Jersey, for instance, separates felonies (the term felony is actually replaced by "criminal offense") by first degree criminal offense charges through those which are considered fourth degree offenses. In contrast, Wisconsin makes Class A through Class I felony distinctions, while Virginia State courts choose Class 1 through Class 6 classifications.

In terms of Federal law, the felony classifications are assigned a letter grade based primarily on the length of imprisonment. The classes are as follows:

     Class A felony: capital punishment (the death penalty) or life imprisonment; fines up the $250,000


     Class B felony: imprisonment time is 25 years or more; fines up the $250,000


     Class C felony: imprisonment time is between 10 and 25 years; fines up the $250,000


     Class D felony: imprisonment time is between five and ten years; fines up the $250,000


     Class E felony: imprisonment time is between one and five years; fines up the $250,000 

If the prison time is below one year, the crimes are then considered misdemeanors, which range from Class A misdemeanors (six months to one year in prison) to infractions, which may have as little as five days in prison, or no prison time at all. In more recent years, the United States Federal Sentencing Commission has been established to ease in the application of such felony charges, and since 1984, it has adapted Federal 

Sentencing Guidelines for use in court cases. 

In the simplest sense, such guidelines are there to avoid problems which have arisen with "indeterminate sentences" of the past, for which parole officers, not judges, would give far "looser" felony sentences- such as a "10 to 20 year sentence" instead of an absolute 15 year sentence- after the actual conviction. With the Sentencing Guidelines, felony charges are basically given more definite imprisonment terms. 

As mentioned above, the majority of felony charges are generally handled through State courts since every State will have its own set of laws regarding felonies. That is not to say that Federal felony convictions are rare by any means. In fact, the main disparity can sometimes be as little as a crime being committed on Federal property as opposed to State property, or being arrested by Federal officers as opposed to State or local authorities. 

As a broad separation, felonies most often prosecuted on a State level include, but are not limited to, murder, rape, possession of controlled substances, robbery, shoplifting, domestic violence, and any repeat "under the influence" charges. Federal felony prosecutions, on the other hand, include crimes like bank or mail fraud, bank robbery, smuggling any controlled substance (usually in large quantities), and bribery of public officials, among others.

Although it may not ring true for every case, Federal felony charges often receive much harsher punishments than State-level rulings. In addition, Federal felonies do not have the possibility of being expunged, or cleared, from a convicted offender's criminal record. While State felony charges have varying expungement rules, most will allow a first-time felony charge to be expunged over time. 

Depending on whether a State has a "three-strike law" enacted in legislation, certain repeat felony offenders, specifically ones which are convicted of a felony for the third time, receive mandatory 25 year imprisonment sentences. Depending on the severity of the crime committed, of course, this number could be far more. 

Felony charges, even those with the most minimal punishments, can often hold grave consequences for life after prison as well, even for first-time offenders. 

When introduced back into society as free men and women, a felony conviction will sometimes pose a major problem when looking for a new job, especially with any workplace involving children, guns or explosive material, or most large companies, which often don't want the liability of hiring a charged felon. Some insurance companies may also deny coverage to felons, making the adjustment to life out of prison that much harder.