The Legal Process for Limiting or Preventing Access to Your Juvenile Records It’s well-documented that our brains do not fully mature until we are in our mid-20s. As a consequence, we may engage in behaviors without fully considering all the ... [Read more...]
Criminal Law
Alternatives to Juvenile Detention
Why Incarceration Is Generally Ineffective in Juvenile Cases According to data collected by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), almost 60,000 minors are confined in jails and other detention facilities across the United States on any given ... [Read more...]
What Happens When a Juvenile Is Arrested?
How Does the Process Differ from the Treatment of Adults in the Criminal Justice System? In every state, there's a separate court system and process for addressing acts of minors that violate the law. Juvenile courts have jurisdiction over minors, ... [Read more...]
Strict Liability in Criminal Prosecutions
Conviction of Guilt Without Regard to Intent or State of Mind In the criminal justice system, offenses are commonly categorized based on the state of mind of the perpetrator at the time of the act, and criminal statutes typically identify the state ... [Read more...]
Faking Your Own Death – It Can Come Back to Haunt You
Falsifying Your Demise Can Make You Wish You Were Dead Ever had the thought that if you could just start over again, with a new identity and a new life, you'd be able to get a handle on everything? In today's world, where it seems relatively easy to ... [Read more...]
What Is First-Degree Murder?
How Does It Differ from Other Types of Homicide? Within the American criminal justice system, the crime of homicide can be charged in a number of different ways, with first-degree murder as the most serious offense. As a general rule, homicide ... [Read more...]
What Is Culpable Negligence?
How Is It Different from Ordinary Negligence? Where Is It Recognized? In the American legal system, when you act negligently, and your negligence causes another person to suffer damages, you can be held accountable in a civil lawsuit or personal ... [Read more...]
Pleading the 5th – Pros and Cons
What Does It Mean to "Plead the 5th"? When Should You Exercise the Right? If you've watched any movie or television show involving a criminal trial, you've likely heard one of the characters—either a witness, defendant, or attorney—"plead the 5th." ... [Read more...]
Understanding Criminal Negligence
How Does It Differ from Civil Negligence? In the American criminal justice system, a criminal conviction requires the prosecution to show that both a guilty mind (mens rea), and a guilty act (actus reus). In most instances, the frame of mind that ... [Read more...]
Distinguishing Between White-Collar Crimes and Other Crimes
What Is White-Collar Crime? How Does It Differ From “Street Crime”? There are many ways to categorize criminal offenses, but one of the most common is by type—the distinction between “violent/street crimes” and “white-collar crimes.” The most common ... [Read more...]