Category: Criminal Defense
As PBS reports, the cash bail system is the norm in most states, but it is not without its critics. Everyone had heard the term “bail,” but do you really know what it means? In most jurisdictions in the country, when you’re arrested and charged with a crime, the court has the option to set…
People sometimes wonder what rights they have when it comes to defending themselves and their property. Stand your ground laws occasionally make headlines when a homeowner or property owner prevents an intruder from entering their home. Because laws vary from state to state, and even the names for these laws can be different depending on…
Another fatal shooting of a police officer in San Antonio has highlighted violence against law enforcement officers in Texas. Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff in San Antonio to honor Officer Miguel Moreno. He was killed in a shoot-out last Thursday and died a day later. Moreno…
There are now three times more people with serious mental illness incarcerated in the United States than in hospitals. Are U.S. prisons criminalizing the mentally ill? That’s what a large number of criminal justice advocacy groups have stated — and their assertions are definitely backed up by the data. According to the Bureau of Justice…
Technology often makes life easier, but is it always a good thing? Computers have become such an integral part of daily life that it’s hard to imagine life without them. It’s also hard to believe that just a few decades ago there was no email or internet. Today, however, technology plays a major role in…
The question of mandatory reporting gets murkier when the alleged crime takes place online. The brutal sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl on Facebook Live in March 2017 is raising important questions about whether individuals who view a live stream of a criminal act should be held criminal responsible for failing to report it. According…
The law is constantly changing when it comes to mobile phones and other technology. Before smartphones, you usually had to tell someone where you were out in the world. Today, smartphone technology makes it possible for friends and loved ones to see exactly where you’re located. Of course, if friends and family can see your…
The organization has published some startling statistics that show just how critical a problem the country’s incarceration rate has become. Funded by a $100 million investment from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Safety and Justice Challenge was created to reduce over-incarceration in the United States. The organization has published some startling…
The Court’s decision is likely to have a significant impact on the dual sovereignty exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause. Double jeopardy is a subject most people have heard of but don’t always fully understand. According to news reports, the Supreme Court of the United States may be set to hear a double jeopardy case…
Florida announced it has suspended a fingerprint examiner for “reasons that aren’t totally clear.” In recent years, the list of widespread misconduct in crime labs across the country has grown inconceivably long. According to a recent Washington Post report, there may be a new item to add to the list. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office…