A person who’s facing the possibility of criminal charges may learn their case is going before the grand jury. There’s some misconception about what this means because it’s sometimes confused with the trial jury. Understanding the different roles between these two...
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives citizens and permanent legal residents a number of important protections that guard them against government abuses. However, how do other immigrants fair? What about the undocumented or those in violation of the law...
When you are arrested, the police will ask questions to obtain solid evidence against you. You can accidentally incriminate yourself when you answer their questions, hence the Fifth Amendment. With this, you can refuse to answer questions from the police during an...
Cell phone data has become a valuable source of evidence in modern criminal investigations. The presence of smartphones and widespread usage have made it increasingly common for law enforcement agencies to use this technology to gather crucial information that can...
Because it is so often portrayed on film and on television, almost everybody in the United States is familiar with the famous lines that begin, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” The full speech,...
Financial crimes can take many different forms. For example, there are simple crimes that people commit, such as robbing a store or stealing from a person directly. But there are also far more complex embezzlement schemes that involve things like altering paperwork to...
The U.S. Constitution confers a number of protections to American citizens. One of these is protection from self-incrimination during any custodial interrogation or criminal trial. If you are a suspect in a criminal matter, it helps to understand your rights as...
If you are involved in an altercation that results in someone’s injury or death, you can be charged with a violent crime. Depending on the circumstances, you can be charged with assault, murder or manslaughter. And a conviction for any of these can have far-reaching...
If the police pull you over, they may ask to search your car. But do they have the right to do so? You may think invoking your Fourth Amendment rights will protect you during a traffic stop; however, that is not always the case. The automobile exception The U.S....
Contrary to popular belief, an eyewitness does not guarantee a conviction. While they can be compelling, they are not always correct. Or, if they are correct, they are not always watertight enough to prove that someone committed a particular crime beyond a reasonable...