Sometimes, even though we may not know all the facts, it is clear that some horrible tragedy has taken place. Probably one that has something to do with distorted perceptions of some kind. By some body. Either that or pure evil. But then, I do not tend to believe in…
Just as defendants in a criminal case have certain rights, so do witnesses. The information you are obligated to provide when asked is dependent on the nature of the case, and who is doing the asking. For example, if an attorney or detective calls you hoping that you’ll speak about…
Okay… maybe that is a little misleading. Maybe they weren’t really lies. Perhaps, when you were taught them, your teachers and parents thought that they were actually true. Maybe they even were true at the time. But not any more. Not really. Attorney Sam’s Take On Criminal Justice Reality Time…
After a week of various news stories about police officers behaving badly, not so long after my 3-parter about that not necessarily being an unusual exception to the rule…it seemed like this update might be rather timely. According to Boston.com, what’s been forecasted for quite awhile is now apparently happening. The…
Fans of the hit podcast Serial will be interested to learn that Adnan Syed, the man whose murder conviction is the focus of the show, has been granted a new trial. Last week, Maryland’s second-highest court upheld a lower-court’s ruling that—due to deficient counsel in his original trial—Syed deserves a…
Due to the recent surge in mass shootings and the resulting gun debate, the term “stand your ground” has frequently been in the news. In stand your ground states, such as Florida and Texas, an individual can use force, without retreating, to protect himself against a threat. In these states,…
You know, words can be funny. In some arenas, they mean one thing, and then in another, they can mean something different. This happens a lot in the practice of criminal law. Attorney Sam’s Take On Assault And Battery Harry Hands sees Sally Shoulder. Harry likes Sally. He calls to…
Hello again! How was your holiday weekend? Well, the chances are that it was better than that of Sean Ingram, the 64-year-old retiring fire fighter in Boston and hereinafter, the “Defendant”. He is the gentleman who was arrested Thursday night after “ purposefully crashing into a state police vehicle and…
Child abuse is a crime, there is no question about that. But what about the failure to report child abuse? If you suspect that a child has been abused, do you have to speak up? Is failing to do so a crime? It depends. Mandated Reporters Certain people are required…
Bail is a type of payment—or the pledge to make a payment—in exchange for being released from custody. The defendant is temporarily released, but agrees to return to court when ordered to do so. As long as the defendant shows up at court as agreed, bail money is returned once…