In recent years cell phones have become ubiquitous and texting has become a primary form of communication. While this adds convenience to our lives it also creates tremendous risks when we text while driving. The Numbers Distracted driving, which includes texting while driving, leads to accidents that cause 8 deaths and 1161 injuries every day, […]
Do I Need A Criminal Defense Lawyer? As with anything in life, sometimes there are times where we have to determine whether or not to handle a problem or situation on our own, or if we need to bring in the experience of a professional. In some situations it may make sense to try to […]
Michelle Carter is a young woman in Boston who is on trial for manslaughter. While that is tragically unfortunate, the facts of this case are also highly unusual. Michelle’s boyfriend Conrad Roy III, the victim in this case, committed suicide. So why is she on trial? Michelle is accused of encouraging the act through a series […]
This week the long awaited trial against Bill Cosby began in Pennsylvania where he is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman some years ago. Jury selection was a lengthy process and many questioned whether Cosby could receive a fair trial due to his high profile and the visibility of this case. However, the members of […]
This past Memorial Day, Tiger woods was arrested. No, this brush with the law had nothing to do with an angry wife chasing him with golf clubs. This arrest stemmed from allegations of drugged driving. Tiger was found asleep (or passed out, depending on who you ask) in his car early Monday morning. His car had […]
What Do You Do When Police Serve You a Search Warrant? Officers are only allowed to enter your house without your consent if they have a search warrant. The Fourth Amendment protects you from unreasonable or unnecessary police searches and seizures. A search warrant allows police officers the right to enter your home and gather […]
In a 7-1 opinion in March of this year, the court ruled that the current scheme in Colorado for exonerated defendants is unconstitutional and that it specifically violated 14th Amendment due process. Nelson v. Colorado challenged a Colorado law which stated that if a convicted person was exonerated on appeal (or some other type of post-conviction […]
The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was part of the original Bill of Rights. The amendment is designed to protect persons, houses, papers, and effects from unreasonable searches and seizures. But the Fourth Amendment did not clarify exactly what qualifies as an unreasonable search and seizure. So it has been the courts who have […]
Recently, the Supreme Court agreed to review a case out of the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that addresses Fourth Amendment rights and cell phones. The case is Carpenter vs. United States and is significant because it can change the way digital information is accessed by police and if the access would require a warrant. Moreover, […]
Crimes are typically divided into two categories, misdemeanors and felonies. Though what defines these titles can vary from state to state, it is important to recognize the differences between the two. Here are 10 categories where discrepancies between misdemeanors and felonies exists. 1.The Severity of the Crimes Misdemeanors are thought to be less severe in nature […]