Criminal Law Basics

Finding a suitable position of employment in the best of circumstances is a challenging task. If you have a felony conviction on your record, obtaining gainful employment is an even more daunting...

This is legalese for evidence or information obtained illegally. These materials are not admissible in court. Typically, such cases are accompanied by arguments of "infringement," meaning that...

It is any evidence, information, leads, etc, that investigators receive after an illegal confession or an illegal search. The fruit of the poisoned tree is also the name of the legal doctrine that...

Child abandonment, or the act of leaving a child unsupervised for an extended period of time jeopardizing their safety is a very serious crime in Illinois. Such an act is regulated by the Illinois...

Whether you hire workers or you are a person who wants to check out your dates, there will come a time when you will need to perform a criminal background check. The criminal background check...

Forensic pathology has become more prominent in recent decades as technology has advanced to aid in solving crimes and unexplained deaths. Adding to the popularity has been television shows such...

Workplace violence takes various forms. According to the Rutgers University Crime Prevention Service for Business, there are three types of workplace violence: violence by strangers and outsiders,...

Throughout the history of the criminal justice system, various psychology methods have been used by law enforcement for criminal profiling, by the courts to determine immediate needs of offenders...

Courts are in a period of transition in regard to processing drug cases. Courts across the country work to balance the legislative demands of the "War on Drugs" with the need to provide treatment...

Digital research is research conducted on any digital recording, whether it is audio, video or a photograph. Digital research technologies are the tools used to conduct this research. These...

Tampering with the U.S. mail is a crime, as is theft of the mail and tampering with mailboxes and receptacles holding mail. All crimes related to the U.S. Postal Service are covered under 18 USC...

Misdemeanors are crimes which, while less serious than felonies, involve incarceration and/or payment of a fine. In addition, misdemeanors become part of a person's criminal record. Most states...

Finding a Florida police report can help everyone from the friends and family of the victim to people trying to aid the accused ... or anyone who's just interested in crime, the incident or...

Identity theft is a tremendously growing crime. People can steal your personal information and use it to buy things off your credit, open checking accounts, and sell it to illegal aliens. Identity...

Conflict theory is a field of sociology that focuses on competition and the dynamics of conflicting interests between different social groups as the fundamental force underpinning culture and...

Criminal background checks are being increasingly used to influence decisions made on anything from employment to renting an apartment. Though the U.S. justice system states that people are...

DNA fingerprinting to identify murderers became a staple of American crime shows in the 21st century, but it's been a staple of forensic science since 1985. First used to identify hereditary...

Proactive policing recognizes that crime prevention complements crime reaction. Police and local communities work together to identify concerns, reduce crime and the improved the relationship...

Ex-offenders oftentimes face many challenges in the process of reintegrating into society. Support groups of different types prove beneficial to these people as they make the transition from...

Espionage, or spying, is a means of collecting secret information. The threat of espionage exists within military, political and business organizations from both foreign and domestic culprits....

In different communities across the United States, increased law enforcement results in a reduced crime rate, according to the United States Department of Justice. In order to achieve the most...

These days no one is completely safe from crime. However, there are some things you can do to minimise the chances of you being a victim.

Written reports are an integral part of any investigation. They establish a record of pertinent events and observations that serves as the basis for formal inquiries such as criminal...

The Houston Circuit Court is a branch of the Southern District of Texas court system, a part of the 5th Circuit of U.S. District Courts. Aside from trials, the court offers alternative dispute...

In nearly all justice systems, the main firepower is reserved for the lead offender in a crime; however, those who help that person escape punishment by concealing facts are not forgotten. Under...

Clearing your criminal police record can be challenging depending on the state where your record is held. In some states, it is automatic. According to Margaret Colgate Love, of The Sentencing...

The criminal justice system is plagued with many problems and is in need of serious reform. Many nonviolent offenders are sent to jail, because many district attorneys give into political pressure...

You can take two legal avenues to erase your criminal history. You can have your criminal record sealed or expunged. Every state varies on their procedures and regulations in sealing or expunging...

Misdemeanors are defined as criminal offenses eligible for terms of incarceration that do not exceed one year in length, according to the website US Legal. Misdemeanors are considered less...

Regulating alcohol abuse has been part of America's social fabric since colonial days, when judges used the pillory, stocks and hefty fines to combat the problem. As Americans hit the road in...

Having a felony on your record can make it difficult to obtain employment, pass a credit check, get approved for housing, vote or hold public office. Depending on your state of residence, there...

The length of time a conviction will stay on your driving record is important to people who are applying for jobs or for those who have jobs in which their driving record is a part of evaluations....

A public defender is an attorney appointed to represent an indigent criminal defendant at public expense. If that attorney-client relationship fails, the defendant may need to fire his public...

Forensic identification refers to the use of scientific methods to individualize trace evidence--that is, to tie a particular scratch, bullet hole or drop of blood back to one specific knife, gun...

The fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine is a law that details which evidence can and cannot be used in a court of law. It comes from a Biblical phrase and means any evidence obtained illegally is...

Many of us have been stopped by the police at some point in time during our driving careers. A majority of us have even received a ticket as a result of the contact. What are your rights in such...

A bench warrant, typically issued by a judge after a defendant misses a court date, authorizes the immediate on-sight arrest of the defendant. If you are out of the country and have an outstanding...

Real-life police evidence procedures bear little resemblance to those shown on the network crime shows. Because so many criminal cases depend on the validity of evidence, police procedures...

The job of a public defender is to represent those criminal defendants who cannot afford to hire private attorneys. Public defenders are generally appointed by the court and paid for by the city...

Sentencing guidelines are considered by a judge or jury after a defendant is convicted of a crime. Defendants who lose civil lawsuits receive judgments rather than sentences that often are...

Your first response to this article might me, "Why would I even want to register with the Selective Service?" Well, the answer is that if you're a male U.S. citizen (or male alien living...

There are a number of different resources available to you through which you can find people in jail. The resource that you utilize depends largely on the level of court that sentenced a criminal...

The Australian Parliament of Victoria enacted the Major Crime (Investigative Powers) Act in 2004 in the hopes of removing the veil of silence that so typically shrouds and impedes organized crime...

Bail bonds are your ticket out of jail. Essentially, they are specialized loans that can be paid by the defendant in full or paid by a special agency. In general, bail bonds are good for one year...

While criminal records are typically always considered public information, police reports may be considered confidential. A certain select group of people have an absolute right to access a police...

Police history checks are vital in verifying the pasts of people we choose to employ or entrust with our children. Care must be taken to ensure accuracy in searches. And knowing the nuances of the...

According to the Constitution, every person in the United States has the right to legal representation when legal proceedings have been initiated. Representation as a right comes to bear during...

Lawful interception techniques are methods by which law enforcement agencies gain access to telecommunications message information. These modern-day versions of bugging a telephone present...

Cyber crime is a newer term in the justice system that refers to crimes that can be committed with the use of a computer and the Internet. Knowing how cyber crime is committed can help you...

DNA can be found at a crime scene in a number of different ways. DNA can be found in human blood, bone, hair and tissues. If any of these substances are found at a crime scene, it can be used for...