Category Archives: Criminal Defense
Voter Intimidation is Illegal
Although you thought you were acting patriotically when you chatted up fellow voters, you’ve been arrested and charged with voter intimidation. What constitutes voter intimidation, and what should you do about these charges? Defining Voter Intimidation Voter intimidation is a federal crime, and is spelled out in U.S. code as intimidation, threats, or coercion… Read More »
Parental Criminal Liability
After school shooter Ethan Crumbly pleaded guilty to a mass shooting in Michigan and accepted a life sentence in prison, it didn’t take long for his parents to be charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter—one count for each of the four students killed by their son. Crumley’s parents hadn’t been on the scene of… Read More »
The Problem of Racial Profiling
We’ve all heard the claim that racial discrimination is a horrible piece of American history, but that it’s been quelled in modern America. Even so, there are more than a few people of color who beg to differ. Discrimination based on race, national origin, ethnicity, and religion, can be devastating in various frameworks, none… Read More »
Immigration and Crimes that Could Lead to Deportation
If you are a non-citizen living in the United States, it is important that you follow all laws and expectations. While the possibility of prison and fines are daunting to anyone, for immigrants the stakes are much higher. That’s because criminal activity, in some cases, could result in deportation. There are multiple rules set… Read More »
Is Jury Nullification Possible in Your Trial?
Jury nullification: is it a way to dodge a guilty verdict at the end of a trial? Actually, maybe it is. What is jury nullification, and what makes it so attractive in some cases? Jury Nullification Defined There are sometimes cases in which juries believe that a defendant may be guilty, but they opt… Read More »
First Steps When Facing Felony Charges
You don’t quite know what to think of your situation: you’ve just been charged with a felony! What will that mean for you? How should you behave? Should you answer all of the questions the police are throwing at you to prove that you are innocent? Should you do whatever it takes to get… Read More »
When Do Judges Issue Gag Orders?
Free speech: the First Amendment guarantees this right in America. Even so, we know judges issuing gag orders in high-profile cases, plainly restricting the speech of individuals involved in both civil and/or criminal trials. How can both things be true? Why Gag Orders are Issued Typically judges issue gag orders—or non-dissemination orders—as a way… Read More »
Double Jeopardy
Double jeopardy: we’ve all heard about the Constitutional Amendment protecting people from enduring two criminal trials for the same offense, but many people likely do not understand the caveats to this important protection. The fact of the matter is, two separate trials could occur based on the same act under very specific circumstances. For… Read More »
Reverse Warrants
You’ve heard of a search warrant and an arrest warrant. But are you familiar with reverse warrants? If not, you should be, because they are used with regularity all over the country, and they can impact you in ways you’d never imagine. The fact of the matter is, these reverse warrants have eliminated the… Read More »
When Federal Officers use Deadly Force
There have been over 150 fatalities at the hands of federal officers—DEA, FBI, US Marshals, or ATF—in the past five years. Another 80 or so people were wounded. We know that these federal agencies are tasked with going after bad guys—but still—there are questions about the tactics they use and the results they get…. Read More »