by Richard Resch
"Close your eyes. Picture it. Now tell me exactly what you saw.” Across America, police treat this as a credibility test. Every day, truthful people fail it.
That is the detective in the interview room. In the courtroom, the prosecutor turns it into an accusation. “If this …
“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” – Henry Ford
What is money? Everyone needs and wants it, but few can actually define it. At its core, money is a social construct, an abstract concept with tangible forms. Money is an agreement within a society about what constitutes a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value. Essentially, money represents a shared agreement on value and thereby facilitates economic interactions by providing a standardized way to measure worth, store wealth over time, and settle debts.
By engaging with the material in this article, you will be able to meaningfully answer that deceptively simple question about money as well as gain a clear understanding of Bitcoin – its revolutionary nature, its eventful history, its role as the future of global finance, and its ability to thwart mass surveillance and pervasive control by governments.
A Brief History of Money
Money facilitates trade by overcoming the limitations of barter, where goods and services are directly exchanged. Without money, a farmer wanting to trade …
Welcome to this month’s issue of Criminal Legal News (“CLN”). As you can see, it’s devoted to the revolutionary and controversial topic of digital currencies, spotlighting the two most important participants in the enduring clash between individual liberties and state control. In this issue, we take a deep dive into Bitcoin – the groundbreaking decentralized digital monetary network that is appropriately characterized as “freedom money” – and Central Bank Digital Currencies (“CBDCs”) – the government-controlled digital form of fiat money that effortlessly enables mass surveillance, programmable restrictions, and unparalleled control. Whether you’re skeptical of these evidence-based assessments or already convinced, this issue of CLN is your vital resource for understanding these two starkly different digital currencies and the stakes involved. Our meticulously researched articles will challenge your assumptions, provide fresh insights, and entertain you along the way.
“Crypto Week” Showdown in Congress Over CBDCs
The timeliness of this issue is underscored by the dramatic events that unfolded in Washington, D.C., during “Crypto Week” from July 14 to 18 in the United States House of Representatives. What was intended as a bipartisan celebration for passing a trio of digital asset bills nearly imploded entirely due to a dramatic intra-party …
The Supreme Court of the United States held that when an offender convicted under § 924(c) had been sentenced prior to the enactment of the First Step Act but the sentence was subsequently vacated, a sentence “has not been imposed” for purposes of the retroactivity provision of § 403(b), and thus, § 403(a)’s …
The Supreme Court of the United States held that U.S. District Courts may not consider 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a)(2)(A), retribution vis-à-vis defendant’s underlying criminal offense, when determining whether to revoke a term of supervised release because Congress’ decision to enumerate eight of the ten sentencing factors set forth in § 3553(a) but …
The “100-mile border zone” is not just a geographic area—it is a legal construct that provides federal authorities broader powers to enforce the nation’s immigration laws. If you are within 100 miles of the nation’s land borders or coastlines, you are in the 100-mile border zone, a region where …
The Supreme Court of South Carolina held that the defendant was entitled to a self-defense jury instruction where he presented some evidence upon which a jury could reasonably conclude that he acted in self-defense and that it was error for the trial court to refuse to provide the requested jury …
Resolving a split between the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Seventh Circuit, the Supreme Court of the United States held that 18 U.S.C. § 1014 criminalizes only “false” statements, not ones that are “misleading” but true, i.e., not false.
Background
Patrick Thompson obtained three loans totaling …
*But Were Afraid to Ask
by Richard Resch
As Andrew v. White, 220 L. Ed. 2d 340 (2025) (per curiam), illustrates, even highly accomplished legal professionals at the pinnacle of the profession can find themselves grappling with the subtle art of correctly identifying the holding(s) in court opinions. Notice how …
by Richard Resch
As we usher in 2025, we also mark the eighth year of Criminal Legal News (“CLN”). To those of you who have been with us from the beginning, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support, which has been instrumental in our success. We are honored …
