It can take a long time for police officers to gather enough evidence to charge someone with a serious criminal offense. Sometimes, police officers have to get creative with how they collect evidence. Generally speaking, an officer needs to have a warrant or...
Aggressively Protecting Your Rights
Criminal Defense
Criminal attempt charges for an incomplete violent crime
Before a person can face charges for a violent crime, a victim must be injured or killed. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily so. In some cases, people face felony charges even if they never completed the crime. "Criminal attempt" is a legal term with which most...
Why plea bargains can work against a criminal defendant
Anyone accused of a criminal offense theoretically has the right to defend themselves. In fact, this right is so crucial to the American justice system that the state will provide defendants with an attorney in a situation where an accused individual cannot afford...
How documentation helps with an alibi
If you’ve been accused of a serious crime, you may know well that you're innocent. The trouble could lie in the fact that it’s hard to prove to a prosecutor, judge or jury that you’re telling the truth. One of the more common ways to do this is to show that you have...
Your phone may not be safe from law enforcement snooping
Your smartphone is password protected and the data on it is encrypted. Even if you don’t have anything nefarious to hide, you no doubt realize that your most sensitive personal and financial information is accessible from the hard drive and apps on your phone. Anyone...
The law on involuntary manslaughter in Minnesota
If a person dies and another person was to blame for their death, this person will likely face criminal charges. The criminal charges that they will face will depend on a number of factors, including the circumstances surrounding the person's death and the state of...
Reasonable force is important for a self-defense claim
Arguments happen. If things escalate, the other person may physically assault you. As an American, you have a right to defend yourself. Self-defense is not illegal, and it is a common defense when facing charges for injuring someone else. After all, the police...
Police interrogations without legal counsel can threaten your freedom
If you are a fan of televised police procedural shows like Criminal Minds or NCIS, you have likely witnessed many fictional police interrogations. They seem realistic and are frightening if you put yourself in the shoes of those under interrogation. There is also true...
Why do so many innocent people decide to plead guilty?
Law enforcement officers can arrest innocent people for all kinds of reasons. One witness could mis-identify an individual, a mistake that could quickly lead to an arrest. The police might spot someone who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. When...
Murders are on the rise, but there are unusual causes
There has been a spike in murders throughout many of the major cities in the U.S., and there are dozens of reasons why that may be. As someone who is currently facing a murder charge, you should understand the reasons that the authorities believe these crimes are...