The moment you are faced with criminal charges is the moment you should consult a criminal defense lawyer. The prosecution will work against you and they have many years of experience and resources to do this quite successfully if you do not protect yourself. When you are charged with a criminal offense, the first thing […]
All states have taken a strong stance against drunk driving in the past two decades. The enhanced penalties mean that a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) can create both short and long-term problems. Even a first conviction for DUI can result in automatic jail time and a license suspension, as well as significant […]
While the arguments to keep cities safe and to reduce expenses sound compelling, they are not backed by numbers. In fact, there is substantial evidence that sanctuary cities are not in more danger than other cities and that helping undocumented people is not a huge cost but in fact benefits the city. Immigrants and Crime […]
In 2015, a woman named Kathryn Steinle was murdered by a stray bullet in San Francisco. Her killer was an undocumented immigrant male. Steinle’s tragic death is one that opponents of sanctuary cities often cite when explaining why they are against them. In her case, the murderer had actually been deported several times for other crimes, but […]
Immigration is a hot topic these days and several cities, including Denver, have made the news for being sanctuary cities. The debate revolves around whether cities who protect undocumented people from immigration enforcement should continue to receive support from the federal government. New President Donald Trump opposes sanctuary cities and believes they are hotbeds of […]
Fault Determination Just as a detective will use clues to solve a crime, there are some important clues the courts and insurance companies use to decide who will pay all or most of a car accident liability claim. The industry term is ‘fault determination.’ One of the most straight-forward examples of fault is in the […]
Last year we shared a story about a Judge in Kentucky who relieved a jury because he believed they would be biased on race. Judge Stevens determined that an all-white jury in the mixed community of Louisville could not necessarily offer a fair verdict against a black defendant. So he dismissed the jury in the interest of […]
One Crime, Two Cases: Wrongful Death Claims and Manslaughter Charges Manslaughter is a serious crime that can cause a great deal of damage. The crime of “manslaughter” can apply when an individual unintentionally or intentionally caused the death of another person. Voluntary manslaughter is considered an intentional crime and is sometimes described as having an […]
Imagine this: You and your spouse are out running errands and you are finally at your last stop. In the meantime, your preschooler has fallen asleep and there is no way you are going to wake this peaceful child for a 15 minute chore. So you run in, grab what you need and head back […]
You may have seen people with ankle monitors, or heard of those who get home detention as a sentence, but who actually qualifies for alternative sentencing and how does it work? Alternative sentencing embodies consequences that minimize the use full incarceration. It includes work release programs, home detention, weekender programs and treatment based releases. Usually […]