Criminal Law Basics

If you decide to drop criminal charges against an individual because you've had second thoughts, there are certain steps you must take. However, just because you request to have the charges...

Finding out if criminal charges are filed in a case can be important for various reasons. Official charges are one of the first steps in a chain of court proceedings which pave the way toward a...

Police departments, everyday must deal with hundreds of false reports in the United States. Those that file the false report usually face some form of penalty or prosecution once it is discovered...

Police departments in the U.S. track crime statistics around their stations and in many neighborhoods. They use this data to assist with routine checks from patrol units and to determine how much...

Receiving a bad check, whether it be due to nonsufficient funds, account closure, or a stop payment, can place you or your business into a financial bind. Many things can occur fromt a bad check...

The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), providing an online access for authorized individuals about crimes, and in some cases...

Most of us do not expect an officer to show up at our door to make an arrest, especially in front of family, friends and neighbors, and perhaps for a crime we are not aware we committed. But the...

The term criminal record usually pertains to someone being charged or convicted of a crime. But the title of the crime for which a person is charged can be vague or misleading. There are different...

Dealing with an outstanding warrant can be confusing and frustrating. Whether the warrant resulted from a missed court hearing or a pending criminal offense, it's a good idea to resolve the issue...

From jurisdiction to jurisdiction---and certainly country to country---there is no uniform format for a rap sheet, which is the printed record of a person's citations, arrests, convictions and...

When you stand accused of a crime, you want to have the best representation possible. If you feel that your criminal attorney is not doing a good job representing you or even if you simply can’t...

When you’ve been accused of a crime, regardless of if you are guilty or innocent, you would need to find and hire a criminal attorney. You would also need a criminal attorney if you are the...

If you’ve been accused of a crime, whether you are guilty or not, you would find yourself looking for a criminal attorney. Finding a good attorney can make the difference between going to jail...

Criminal law attorneys defend those individuals who have been charged with a crime. Criminal attorneys negotiate with prosecutors, examine evidence, advise their clients on plea negotiations and...

Police reports are prepared for everything from a traffic accident to serious offenses such as robbery or murder. Regardless of the reason for the report, they are all similar in layout and can be...

You might need to obtain a federal background check for several reasons, including as a requirement for school, employment, adoption or travel. A 10-year federal background check requires that you...

Crimes that involve more than one state or country fall under federal jurisdiction and would be prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Such a case, for example, could be that of a suspected...

Receiving the full benefit of an alarm system is a joint effort between efficient alarm companies and prompt public safety responders. Requirements will vary by jurisdiction on how to set up your...

You may want a copy of your police record for a variety of reasons such as adoption, employment, school or scholarship purposes, or travel to a foreign country that requires a "certificate of good...

A background check is a history of all arrests/crimes committed by an individual, as reported by various federal and local agencies to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). A background check...

Before moving into or near an apartment complex, or even if you're simply planning to work or own a business near one, it's a good idea to check on its criminal history. Police reports of arrests...

Finding basic information about individuals listed on police reports has become relatively simple with the passing of Freedom of Information laws. Case summaries recorded by police agencies are...

There are a variety of methods used to bail out someone from jail. These include using the services of a bail bondsman or posting the full amount of the bond with the clerk of the court. In using...

Police discretion is a sticky branch of the criminal justice tree--the shades of gray of law enforcement. Often while on duty, police officers encounter situations that require their personal...

Several misconceptions exist about how and when you can waive civil rights under arrest and questioning circumstances. It's important to note that procedures can differ depending on the state and...

Criminal records are generally kept only in the jurisdiction where the crime and conviction occurred. First you will need to get a copy of your criminal record with a list of all previous...

If you believe that somebody stole money from you, in order to hold that person criminally accountable, you need to file a report or "complaint" with the police. You can do this over the phone or...

You can obtain a copy of your arrest record by making requests to the police departments in whose jurisdiction you believe you may have a record. To be thorough, check with the city, county, state...

Every once in a while, a situation will arise where a person gets pulled over for a minor traffic violation only to get hauled into jail without realizing what happened. In most cases, the reason...

By the Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts, any member of the public is entitled to examine a copy of records on himself or herself kept by a federal agency, such as the Federal Bureau of...

Checking for an arrest warrant is fairly easy as long as you have the correct information to help lead you in the direction you want to go. The bottom line is to have as much information as...

If you believe that you are being harassed, you should report it to the police and ask that criminal charges be instituted. If the harassment is extreme, and you believe that you are in danger of...

An expungement is a procedure that permanently seals or destroys a prior legal matter, thus clearing the convicted person's record of the matter. An expungement is most commonly sought in criminal...

Studying crime rates provides an interesting look at a society. The wealth of data and resources available online and from local law enforcement authorities make it possible to research crime...

Arrest reports are written by law enforcement officials and detail the circumstances surrounding the making of an arrest. A typical arrest report will describe what events led up to the arrest,...

If you are facing criminal charges and lack the ability to retain an attorney with your own funds, you can request legal representation. You will need to meet certain income guidelines and to be...

Internet crime or cyber crimes have gained higher profile, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with many people every day becoming victims as their personal funds or business funds...

Parole makes it possible for a convicted criminal to be released from prison early. Naturally, there is great public interest in knowing when a prisoner will be released. Victims may want to know...

One reason many people fail to report police misconduct they've seen or experienced is because they're either not familiar with the process or afraid to report the incident. A great deal of police...

Obtaining your federal criminal record is a fairly straightforward process. You may be doing it as a requirement for adoption or to obtain a clearance to work for a foreign government or in...

A police record reveals criminal history, traffic violations, offenses and more about a person. These police records can be found at local, state and even federal levels of the police department....

A person who is not a law enforcement official or prosecutor may press criminal charges in two ways: through summoning the police to a crime scene and/or by filing a document called a "criminal...

When a warrant is issued on a criminal matter, it's released to the public. The reason for this is that the police need the help and cooperation of the public in order to help them find...

The desire to know if you, a loved one or even a co-worker may have a warrant out for your or his arrest is a common one in the modern, computerized age. However, just because a person has a...

Whether you are leaving prison or sentenced to probation, finding a job is a challenging task with criminal convictions on your record. By law, employers can ask you about prior criminal...

Manslaughter essentially means causing the death of another person without malice aforethought, such as can happen in a bar fight that gets out of hand. If you want to learn about possible...

It is not difficult to find your police record (or criminal record) in the state you are currently living in. Sometimes, if you have moved from state to state (and even from city to city within a...

Title 18, section 4 of the United States Code makes it a crime to fail to report a federal crime "as soon as possible." Failing to report a federal crime is a separate crime called "misprision of...

A warrant is a formal written order, called a writ that is issued to law enforcement by a judge. Warrants allow law enforcement agents to put aside the rights of the individual for the purposes of...

Search warrants are documents signed by judges that authorize police to search for objects at a location during a specific time frame. These warrants are obtained by convincing a judge that there...