What Is the Exclusionary Rule? What Are Common Situations Where It Applies? Are There Exceptions? How Has It Changed Criminal Law? One of the hallmarks of American democracy is the right of citizens to be free from unreasonable search or seizure, as ... [Read more...]
False Imprisonment: Protecting Yourself Against Wrongful Detention
What Is False Imprisonment? What Are the Potential Remedies? Are There Exceptions to the Rule? As humans, one of our most cherished freedoms is the freedom of movement, to be able to go to the places we are legally allowed to go. Accordingly, when ... [Read more...]
Lying Under Oath: The True Penalty for Perjury
What Is Perjury? What Must the Prosecutor Prove? What Are the Penalties? In the legal system, oral and written testimony plays a critical role in the outcome of a criminal or civil matter. The effectiveness of the American legal system depends, to a ... [Read more...]
Protective Order vs. Restraining Order
What Is a Protective Order? What Is a Restraining Order? When Are They Commonly Used? You've been a victim of domestic violence or someone has been stalking you, showing up at your home, workplace, or other places you frequent. You know that you can ... [Read more...]
Lawsuit Loans: Help or Hidden Financial Trap
What Is a Lawsuit Loan? How Do They Work? What Are the Risks Involved? If you've been hurt because of someone else's wrongful act and are unable to work, the compensation you can potentially receive in a personal injury settlement or verdict can be ... [Read more...]
What Is Second-Degree Murder?
How Does It Differ From Other Forms of Murder? What Are the Potential Penalties? The intentional killing of another person—commonly referred to as murder—is generally prosecuted under state law, though there are limited situations where murder can ... [Read more...]
The Current Status of the Death Penalty in America
Do Most States Have a Death Penalty? What Are the Differences Among States That Allow Capital Punishment? Capital punishment has been legally sanctioned in some form or other for approximately 4,000 years, from the Code of Hammurabi to the Hittite ... [Read more...]
What Is Homicide?
How Does the Law Define Homicide? What Are the Different Types of Homicide? The killing of another human being has been considered a crime for most of recorded history. The Code of Hammurabi, estimated to have been written nearly two thousand years ... [Read more...]
Getting a Police Report After an Auto Accident
When It's Required by Law | Why It's Always a Smart Thing When you've been involved in a motor vehicle accident, one of the first things people tell you to do is get a police report. But that can be a real hassle sometimes. Depending on the time of ... [Read more...]
What Is an Esquire?
The Truth Behind This Legal Title Chances are, if you work with lawyers on a regular basis, that at some point you've seen the designation "Esq." or "Esquire" on stationery or a business card. What is an esquire? What is the origin of the term? And ... [Read more...]