Category: Criminal Defense
This would give police departments the authority to use drones outfitted with weapons which they could use to inflict deadly force on citizens. It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but weaponized drones may soon be hitting the skies — at least in Connecticut. Lawmakers in Connecticut have introduced a bill…
In a recent New York case, the court ruled against social media giant Facebook over bulk search warrants. There is no question that the internet has forever changed privacy rules. Because the pace of technology moves much faster than the law, courts are often challenged to make decisions about how the law applies to internet…
Many officers aren’t aware Tasers have the potential to kill. Tasers are often touted by police as a lower level of force than handguns, however, a 2017 Reuters report reveals that Tasers have caused over 1,000 deaths in the United States. Although many people use “Taser” and “stun gun” interchangeably, only stun guns require direct…
Is DNA evidence the most foolproof way to determine if someone has committed a crime? If you watch a lot of crime dramas on television, or you’re a fan of detective novels, you might believe that DNA evidence is the most foolproof way to determine if someone has committed a crime. Furthermore, you wouldn’t be…
What constitutes an aggravated crime varies from state to state? Many people hear that a crime is “aggravated” and wonder what that means. What distinguishes a robbery from an “aggravated” robbery, for example? Is one worse than the other? The short answer is that, yes, an aggravated crime is a more serious charge that carries…
It’s important to remember that statutes of limitations vary from state to state. Statutes of limitations put a limit on how long a person can be prosecuted for a crime. These time limits also exist in civil law. For example, the statute of limitations for suing someone over a breach of contract is generally 10…
Texas criminal law makes it clear that a person can be convicted of perjury if they knowingly make a false written statement even when not under oath. Most people have a basic understanding of perjury. They know that it involves lying under oath, and most people picture this happening on the witness stand in a…
Many states have taken steps to ensure juvenile offenders in their courts are not slapped with a life sentence before they even reach adulthood. Should a teenager be sentenced to life in prison? It’s a question that has resonated throughout the criminal justice system in recent years. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that…
It’s terrifying to think that the nation’s most elite federal law enforcement agency could be so wrong on so many cases over such a staggeringly long period of time. Just a few years ago, the FBI admitted that serious flaws in investigatory practices used by its forensics unit led to nearly every examiner giving inaccurate…
Mistrials happen for a variety of reasons. The Bill Cosby sexual assault case has dominated headlines over the past year. The case is complicated, as it involves thorny questions about statutes of limitations and whether Cosby previously admitted or acknowledged that he engaged in some of the behavior the plaintiffs accuse him of. When the…