Criminal Trials

Grand juries perform important functions, including listening to criminal charges and deciding whether to return a true bill of indictment.

Even if you're not the defendant or the plaintiff, most court case information in civil and criminal cases is available for public review under the provisions of state and federal Freedom of...

If you are having trouble with your criminal defense attorney, you should first try and resolve any differences. It may seem easier to simply replace your attorney, but bringing in a new attorney...

Hiring a good criminal defense attorney is critical to getting a good outcome when you are accused of a crime. It is particularly challenging to find the right attorney when you are in a...

Use this informative step by step process to understand why police use force when they do.

If a prior conviction has been hanging over your head for a while, you might consider seeking an expungement for the crime. Usually, states do not consider expungement if the convicted person has...

Criminal defense lawyers provide legal service to people accused of breaking a law (whether state or federal). Defense attorneys perform many tasks relating to a case--from research to...

The Internet has made retrieving copies of old criminal records easier and less expensive than in the past. The National Archives and Records Administration provides one website where you can find...

In United States law, a felony is the more serious of two basic classifications of crimes that can be committed, the other being a misdemeanor. The two are distinguished by their punishments; a...

Retribution in the criminal justice system refers to the idea that offenders should be punished for committing crimes when they freely violate existing social rules. Retribution would not support...

A public defender, colloquially known as a court-appointed attorney or lawyer, is an attorney who is employed by the state government to represent defendants in criminal matters. Court-appointed...

Forensics, the use of science and medicine to analyze physical evidence, has been around for centuries. Many techniques familiar to modern police detectives are still relatively new, however....

DNA fingerprinting is any technique for analyzing the DNA content of an individual that can be used to characterize the individual. One type of fingerprint is based on randomly amplified...

If you have been arrested, whether guilty or innocent, the first thing you should do is obtain a criminal defense lawyer. Public defenders are often bright, hardworking attorneys, but have to deal...

Forensic hair analysis is a scientific method of analyzing trace evidence from a crime scene. It involves examining the hair shaft, including its medulla (inner core), cortex (intermediate layer)...

A district attorney is an appointed official who represents a county, city or state in criminal matters. Their job is multifaceted. In addition to analyzing evidence and deciding when prosecution...

Wisconsin court records generally include criminal and civil law information but may include property records as well. Wisconsin public court records are open to anyone for their own purposes. You...

Texas public records are a broad phrase for any type of public information found in the TX state. Information that can be categorized as Texas public records are criminal, civil, property deeds,...

DUI defense attorneys can help you when you are accused of committing a DUI. DUI charges are serious charges. You could lose your license or face potential jail time if you do not have a strong...

Maryland criminal records can range from ordinance violations or to more severe convictions such as felonies and misdemeanors. There are three main branches of the judicial entities in the MD...

Arizona public records are a general phrase for deeds, civil, and criminal documentations found in the AZ state. There are 4 main court entities in this state that consists of the superior,...

Both arrest warrants and bench warrants are legal documents from the court allowing the police to arrest and detain an individual for questioning in regards to criminal activity or for failure to...

California public records can be found through various avenues. Information can include documented property deeds, criminal records, civil judgments, and family law dockets. Some are free while...

Each state has different rules and terms for sealing or vacating criminal records. In most cases, you must file a petition with the court that handled your case and explain why you qualify to have...

Forensic evidence is anything that can be used in court to prove or disprove some aspect of a crime. A great deal of the forensic evidence collected at crime scenes is called trace evidence, the...

Admissions and stipulations by the defendant are types of evidence that may be used in a criminal trial. Rules of evidence and rules of criminal procedure provide guidelines for how admissions and...

According to the Office of the Ohio Public Defender, citizens of the United States and the state of Ohio are guaranteed the right to legal representation in a court of law. The Ohio public...

Forensic science is any branch of science used to analyze crime scene evidence for a court of law. All science uses math concepts and equations, and forensic scientists are well educated in...

When you are charged with a crime, it is important to get an attorney who can help you navigate the judicial system. If you are unable to afford an attorney, you may qualify for free or low-cost...

Sworn statements called affidavits are used in criminal cases in a number of ways, depending on rules of evidence in place in the jurisdiction where the case is located. In most U.S. courts,...

Forensic analysis of the voice is usually used to identify or eliminate a suspect. The field goes back about 40 years, but experts still disagree about its admissibility as evidence.

A criminal attorney is a hired legal representative to defend client on trial for criminal charges. Hiring a criminal attorney can be both an intimidating challenge and an expensive endeavor all...

Grasshoppers and other bugs can play an important part in murder cases. Forensic entomology is the study of insects as they relate to court cases, particularly major crime cases. Forensic...

A criminal case takes place when a person is arrested for committing a crime. That person, the offender or defendant, is moved through the three components of the criminal justice system: law...

Forensic science or technology means evidence---including models, testing and demonstrations as well as analysis and testimony---that is admissible in court and pertains to a legal matter such as...

Those who employ forensic science solve crimes by using all of the available information about, and evidence from, a crime scene in order to determine who committed it. Forensic scientists from...

While most of us are desperate to get excused from jury duty, some people find that the idea of jury duty isn't quite as bothersome as the rest of us. In fact, there are individuals who want to...

Millions of Americans receive the same notice in their mailbox year after year: the dreaded summons for jury duty. But as a stay-at-home mom, the jury duty request causes much more than a mere...

Sex offenses include a range of crimes from lewd acts to aggravated rape. Most sex offenses are charged and tried and offenders sentenced in state courts. Federal sex offense sentences are doled...

Murder is considered the most serious possible crime. State, federal, and international sentencing guidelines usually call for long prison sentences, life imprisonment or the death penalty for...

Marijuana production, distribution, or possession is a federal and state crime in the U.S. Courts determine sentences for marijuana convictions under their jurisdiction's sentencing guidelines,...

Most criminal prosecutions begin with the filing of a criminal complaint against someone. The U.S. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure specify how this is to be done and what should be in the...

Criminal sentences may be indeterminate, with discretionary points such as parole boards and probation officers setting the ultimate length of the sentence. Determinate sentencing applies...

Mandatory minimum sentences are the criminal sentence floors set by statute. Judges do not have discretion to impose a sentence below the statutory mandatory minimum sentence when a person is...

Most arson convictions occur in state courts and are sentenced under each individual state's arson statutes and sentencing guidelines. Convictions under the federal arson statute fall under the...

Most robberies, such as muggings or the robbing of a local convenience store, are state crimes, and fall under state statutes and sentencing guidelines. Bank robberies and other robberies...

The U.S. Supreme Court case of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005) dramatically shifted the way the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines are perceived and utilized in criminal...

National sentencing guidelines aid courts to devise uniform, equitable sentences for criminal convictions. In the United States, federal sentencing guidelines apply to all federal criminal...

Fibers are the most frequently found trace evidence according to M.C. Grieve, author of "Role of Fibers in Forensic Science Examinations." They can make or break a criminal investigation and have...

Having a friend or relative arrested and taken to jail can be traumatic and very confusing. Often, there is no way to get information on when someone will appear in court -- or even on legal...