What is more terrifying than being charged with a crime that could land you behind bars for an extensive period of time? Going to trial means that a judge and up to a dozen strangers hold your future in their hands. How will they judge you? How will their life…
This country faces a serious problem in terms of healthcare fraud, and authorities have not hesitated to impose serious consequences. As the most expensive white-collar crime in the country—racking up nearly $100 billion in lost funds — the state of California is more than willing to prosecute fraudsters. Both state…
The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech in this country. Nonetheless, we hear about judges issuing gag orders in high-profile cases, clearly restricting the speech of individuals connected to both civil and/or criminal trials. What gives? The Point of Gag Orders Judges typically issue gag orders—sometimes called non-dissemination…
If, while defending yourself, someone else, or property, you caused harm to another individual, it’s possible you could be charged with a crime like assault, battery, or even, in the most extreme situation, murder. But you were only defending yourself, so how is this possible? Sometimes it takes a court…
Hazing occurs in high schools and colleges across the country, notwithstanding extensive publicity detailing the dangers associated with it, in concert with laws on the books penalizing those who perpetuate it. Here in California, we have seen our fair share of hazing resulting in horrendous outcomes: A high school football…
Here in California and across the nation, police use spit hoods to protect officers from being spit on or bitten when individuals engage in this behavior or threaten to, during arrests, transfers, or otherwise, as necessary. It is understandable that police want to avoid such attacks—but there are real concerns…
It is a decision that must be weighed very carefully: should you testify in your own defense? About half of all defendants decide to take the stand to proclaim their innocence. Defendants with prior felony convictions are less likely to testify, often concerned that juries will discover they have had…
If you have been arrested for a felony, you are doubtlessly feeling frightened. What is in the cards for you? Should you accommodate police requests for information to demonstrate your innocence? Should you do anything and everything to get out of custody? No, and no! If you are looking at…
The federal Witness Protection Program is operated by U.S. Marshals, with the goal of providing new identities to individuals who face the possibility of vengeance from organized crime groups like the Mafia, for example, when testifying against them. Groups like these who terrorize communities or are otherwise involved in violent…
We hear about the right to a speedy trial—a constitutional guarantee provided by the Sixth Amendment. Nevertheless, we hear about people who are behind bars awaiting trial all the time, which makes one wonder, what does the term “speedy” really mean in this context? And why are nearly 45,000 people…