When Can You Be Charged With Vehicular Manslaughter? What Defenses Can You Raise? One difference between criminal and civil law centers on the legal principle of negligence. In most instances, when you suffer losses because of the careless or ... [Read more...]
What Is Comparative Negligence?
Can You Still Sue Someone for Damages If You Were Partially Responsible for Causing the Accident? While there are certain types of accidents where it's clear that one party caused everything, it's fairly common to have a situation where multiple ... [Read more...]
What Does Homicide Mean?
How Does the Law Define Homicide? What Are the Different Types of Homicide? What Defenses Are Available for a Homicide Charge? The term "homicide," derived from the Latin words homo (man) and cidium (the act of killing), is commonly used in the ... [Read more...]
What Is Third-Degree Murder?
How Does It Differ From Other Types of Homicide? What Are the Potential Penalties? In the vast majority of states, there is no criminal offense identified as "third-degree murder." Only three states—Florida, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota—have laws on ... [Read more...]
What Is an Easement?
How Do You Get an Easement? When Do You Need One? The purchase of real property conveys many rights You have the right to own and possess the property, to be present on the premises. You have the right to make improvements, changes, or ... [Read more...]
What Is Wire Fraud?
What Are the Elements of Wire Fraud? What Are the Potential Defenses to Allegations of Fraud? What Are the Possible Penalties? Fraudsters can come up with some highly creative ways to take your money. They may send you a fake bill that appears to be ... [Read more...]
What Is an Uncontested Divorce?
What Makes a Divorce Uncontested? Is It the Same Thing as a "No-Fault" Divorce? The end of a marriage can be emotionally devastating, even if it's in your best interests and you had plenty of time to prepare for it. Often, when a marriage has been ... [Read more...]
What Is Sedition?
How Is It Defined by Law? How Is It Different From Insurrection or Treason? The right to disagree or engage in dissent is highly cherished in the United States, a vestige of our forefathers' concerns about suppression of free speech and differing ... [Read more...]
What Is a Spendthrift Trust?
How Does It Work? Why Is It Used? A trust can have many purposes. A common one is to keep property out of an estate so that it won't be subject to probate. Another is to protect assets from creditors. A trust can also be an effective tool for the ... [Read more...]
The Constitutional Prohibition Against Double Jeopardy
What Is the Source of the Rule? What Are the Basic Protections It Provides? The United States Constitution provides extensive protections to citizens involved in criminal proceedings. The Bill of Rights, drafted by former British subjects who knew ... [Read more...]