Criminal Law Basics

A police record and a criminal record are different yet can overlap. Both can affect employment, apartment rentals, promotions and business licensing. Your criminal record can affect also your...

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...

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...

Being convicted of a felony criminal charge is a life-changing event. Aside from any potential prison sentence that the person with a felony conviction may serve, he must follow rules of probation...

A felony conviction will follow you for as long as you let it. As a convicted felon, you are stripped of some of your Constitutional rights, but you are still a citizen of the United States of...

Felony convictions carry lasting collateral consequences. The precise rights denied to persons with felony convictions vary state to state, and include loss of rights to vote, to serve on juriesor...

Following a state or federal conviction for a felony offense, the loses certain constitutional rights, including the right to vote, the right to run for public office and the right to bear arms....

Many states in the U.S. have passed laws imposing penalties in driving-under-the-influence cases that reflect a so-called zero tolerance to driving after drinking alcoholic beverages....

A person who has committed a felony will have a record that will stay with them for an extended period of time. A felony conviction, however, does not necessarily mean a life of hopelessness and...

Perjury is a serious crime. While it involves lying it is more than an ordinary lie. It is usually a lie given to a government official conducting important business on behalf of the people. Thus,...

Being accused of a crime is very serious, but it is in no way proof of guilt. To win a conviction at trial, prosecutors must prove that the actions of the accused meet the requirements of the five...

Voting in elections is a right that is given to all U.S. citizens when they turn 18 years old. Many people do not understand the importance of this right until it is taken away. When convicted of...

DNA testing has only been around for about 24 years, but it can mean the difference between life and death for many people charged with---or convicted of---crimes.

A felony conviction can strip an individual of certain civil rights. Included in this bracket of lost rights is the right to bear arms. Both federal and state laws consider a felon to be...

Convicted felons face a number of difficulties in attempting to reintegrate themselves into society. The difficulty in finding work is well documented. Convicted felons may also find it difficult...

Once a person has been convicted of a felony and served his time, his record is supposed to be clean. However, the stigma of the conviction will stay with him for the rest of his life. This has...

A convicted felon is, by definition, someone who has been convicted of a felony. Under law, a felony is the most severe class of crime. Most people who are convicted of a felony spend time in...

A federal pardon, more commonly known as a presidential pardon, is the act of forgiving a crime that an individual was convicted of, after the punishment has been served. The purpose of a pardon...

Many people convicted of a California criminal offense mistakenly believe that nothing can be done to clean up their records or that they need an attorney to clear their names. However, it may be...

Clearing your criminal record is a necessity in today's economy where there is so much competition for jobs, housing and assistance from government and lending institutions. A criminal record can...

Violating federal law can render serious consequences--and there is little chance for appeal or a pardon once convicted. This article will describe the harsh realities of a federal conviction, as...