In the United States, each state has developed its own body of criminal law. While there are many similarities between the laws of each state, there are also many differences. One state may criminalize certain conduct while another may permit the same actions. For example, while in many states ma...
According to The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, nearly a third of working-age adults have criminal records, which is around the same number of people who have four-year college degrees. While tracking the exact number of people who have a record is nearly impossi...
It has been thirty years since DNA was first used to convict a suspect in a criminal case. Since that time, DNA evidence has become an integral part of the criminal justice system in the United States, including Washington. DNA has been used by both the prosecution to secure a conviction and by t...
The term a “jury of your peers” takes on a whole new meaning in a unique program available to Washington teens. In certain counties in the state, high school students who commit traffic infractions can apply to have their case heard in a Student Traffic Court instead of the local municipal court....
Sometimes, being found not guilty doesnt convince everyone of a persons innocence, even if they have been exonerated by DNA evidence. The Seattle Times recently covered the story of one mans legal team, who decided to find the real suspect in order to prove their client was truly innocent. Te...
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided an interesting case involving the use of a ‘stun belt during the penalty phase of a murder trial. In Stephenson v. Neal, the court determined that the use of this device was not appropriate and the defendant was entitled to a new penalty phas...
Is encouraging someone to commit suicide a crime? The answer is ‘yes according to one Massachusetts judge. A 17-year old girl who encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself was back in court this week to learn her fate after she was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter this past June. The cas...
Being accused of a crime can sometimes have nearly as detrimental an effect on an individuals life as actually being convicted, especially when the crime is particularly heinous or socially stigmatized. Accusations come with a whole host of problems, such as ostracization in a community, defamat...
Today, criminal defense involves a wide variety of innovative techniques and technologies to ensure that a defendant has the best possible case to mount in court. One growing field in criminal defense is the use of computer forensics to analyze the accuser, defendant, and witnesses in the case an...
Sometimes, even when criminal charges are dropped, the long term consequences of an accusation can continue and create extensive negative impacts in a defendants life. This pattern affects all sorts of defendants, including celebrities like Lucky Whitehead, a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver ...
The criminal charge of fraud can come in many forms and levels of severity, from individual tax fraud to pyramid schemes and money laundering. Often, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will make claims of fraud against individuals or business owners which result in investigations and/or audits. H...
Portland, Oregon public transportation operator TriMet is currently considering a measure which would increase the agencys ability to ban passengers who have committed acts of violence while riding public transportation. TriMet is considering taking these new measures in the wake of the double ...
Having a criminal conviction on your record can affect many aspects of your life, even if you have served your sentence, paid your fines, and reintegrated yourself into the community. Seattle is currently considering a “Fair Housing” bill for the city which would place regulations on landlords an...
A retired Air Force major is suing the state of Washington over its cyberstalking laws, which he says is unconstitutional under his First Amendment right to free speech. The Bainbridge Island man brought suit against the state after he was told by county prosecutors they might charge him with cy...
In the summer months, a fire in a backyard or at a campsite is a common recreational activity. However, there are many restrictions on who may set a fire, what materials may be burned, and where a fire may occur. In addition to municipal restrictions on having fires on residential property, state...
A couple who ran a daycare center in Austin, Texas was sentenced to 48 years in prison on charges of satanic child abuse. Despite the far-fetched claims of prosecutors, the husband and wife couple spent over 20 years behind bars. Now, after decades in prison, the state has finally announced the c...
Twice in the last several weeks, Washington police have had to chase down suspects in stolen cars who tried to evade them on roadways instead of just pulling over. In both instances, officers were injured and property was damaged, adding to the potential charges the suspects face. Just before 5 ...
A Northern Arizona drone operator is facing state felony and possibly federal charges after he flew his unmanned aircraft over an area where crews are battling a wildfire. The area had been designated a no-fly zone for non-firefighting aircraft. The 54-year-old drone operator was arrested on cha...
Eighteen Penn State students, all of whom are Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers, face more than 850 charges combined in connection with the death of a fellow student earlier this year. In June, the prosecution spent an entire day laying out evidence arguing why the case should go to trial. There ...
An Alabama man who maintains his innocence has spent a decade in jail awaiting trial bypassing, by years, his constitutionally guaranteed right to a speedy trial. Yet, the judge in the case says it is the defendant's fault he remains behind bars without having been adjudicated guilty. Kharon Dav...
A former teen prostitute who claims she was sexually abused by police officers has received a nearly $1 million payout by the city of Oakland where seven officers are under investigation and the police chief resigned in the wake of the scandal. In addition to the claim filed against the city of O...
In an unexpected turn in an ongoing and unusual sex-crimes case, an Arizona county attorney's office has brought in an out-of-town prosecutor to pursue a criminal case against a university dean. Charges were filed against the defendant, who for nearly 30 years served as the dean of the Universit...
New research shows that in recent decades, the number of defendants being held in rural county jails has increased by more than 400 percent. The reasons are multifold but predominantly hinge on the few pretrial services available to defendants in rural areas and the money to be made by jails “ren...
A Maryland woman, who earlier this year essentially pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect, was in court again this month arguing she is not criminally responsible for her actions. In January, the woman made an Alford plea for the six counts. In exchange, the state prosecutor dropped anoth...
In a landmark case, a 20-year-old woman was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for urging her boyfriend, via text, to kill himself. However, some experts are concerned about the legal precedent the decision may set concerning technology, morality, and the law. The woman, who was 17 at the ...
