Criminal Law Basics

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...

Emigration to another country becomes much more complicated when you have a criminal record. However, emigration may still be possible, depending on a number of factors: the nature of your crime,...

If you are currently looking for a new job or trying to rent an apartment, you may find yourself the subject of a criminal background check. Containing your entire criminal history, a criminal...

The criminal trial always begins with the filing of charges. Until formal charges have been files against you--even if you have been arrested--you have not been charged with a crime. Contrary to...

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...

A career in criminal justice is an option for people with various backgrounds and interests. There are opportunities available in local law enforcement, state law enforcement, federal law...

There are two primary ways in which you can file criminal charges against someone. One method is used when you are filing charges for a crime that has just been committed, while a second method is...

Making the transition from time spent in jail to life on the outside is difficult enough without the added complication of having a criminal record available for public perusal. In additional to...

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...

Criminal background checks cover a person's criminal conviction history alone. Background checks include criminal records and a long list of other records that can be dug up with a person's...

Criminal background records keep track of a criminal's acts for their entire criminal career. But records' systems can be limited.

There are dozens of online services that can help you find information about a person's past, but you would probably be hard pressed to find one that is free and completely accurate. The more...

With a little online research, a written request, and by paying a small fee, you can obtain your own criminal history record. While the specifics will vary from one state to another, the general...

Retrieving criminal history record information from the Commonwealth of Virginia provides access to data collected by Virginia's criminal justice agencies. This information consists of...

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...

Understanding the criminal justice system and how it works is no easy feat. Although some principles in the U.S. Constitution apply to the criminal justice system in general, specific laws and...

A criminal background check can tell you a lot about a person - their character, how responsible they are, and if they are suitable for employment or a relationship, for example. Unfortunately,...

The filing of criminal charges in federal court begins with an investigation of suspected criminal activity, usually conducted by the FBI. However, other federal agencies are sometimes involved...

Determining if criminal charges exist in a person's background can be important for personal and business reasons. Thanks to improvements in record keeping systems in the last few decades, finding...

Like many things in law, the process of obtaining your criminal record varies from one state to the next. However, every state has a process to allow you or your authorized representative to...

Citizens have a right to review criminal records. Since 1996, the federal government has released select criminal records online. Currently, most criminal records remain in paper format. Federal...

Sometimes old criminals warrants come back to haunt people. Even if you have an inactive bench warrant for your arrest, you could potentially be arrested at any time, even if the police are not...

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...

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...

Obtaining a criminal record on a police officer is no more difficult than obtaining a criminal record on anyone else. Most criminal records are a part of public record and will contain any...

Disputing a federal criminal record is a vital step if there are any errors under your name and you're applying for a job or any type of loan. Most prospective employers or banks look to your...

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...

When obtaining a criminal record, most government agencies (police departments, sheriff's office, city or state court houses) will have the records free for you to view at their facility. However,...

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...

Signing a warrant is the last step in making a criminal complaint against someone. It's also a very significant step in the criminal justice process. However, a person should be equally aware that...

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...

Disorderly conduct is typically defined as creating an unnecessary noise or disruption in a public place. It can range from a protest that gets out of hand to a large party that disturbs the...

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...

Criminal records are available to the public, but on a more limited basis than other court records. County and municipal courts will have records of criminal charges and convictions made in those...

Criminal records are a history of an individual's criminal background. They can divulge a lot about an individual's character. Many people now seek these records before extending employment,...

An FBI criminal record (also known as an identification record or rap sheet), relates to fingerprinting during arrests, and in some cases, military service, immigration, naturalization or...

Dual nationality, also known as dual citizenship, is the practice of applying for and maintaining citizenship in two different countries. In the United States, American citizens are free to apply...

Entomology is the science of insects, as well as of spiders and other arthropods. Criminal entomology is the division of forensic entomology that applies this science to criminal law. Criminal...

Discretion in criminal justice is used primarily during three phases of a case by a prosecuting attorney. Discretion is relevant in determining whether a person is to be charged with a crime in...

A criminal history screening is conducted in advance of a person being sentenced for a crime. Nearly every jurisdiction in the United States, including federal criminal courts, utilizes the...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...