CRIMINAL LAW

Subpoena duces tecum – “Under penalty you shall take it with you.” A process by which the court commands a witness to produce specific documents or records in a trial.

Crime Committed Police Notified Police Investigate Investigation may include interviewing victim, witnesses, suspects; collecting physical evidence; visiting, viewing, photographing, measuring crime scene; identifying suspects; through line-ups, etc. Police Make an Arrest (or Request a Warrant) When a crime is committed in a police officer’s presence – or he has probable cause to believe that certain misdemeanors […]

A debt intended to insure the defendant’s future appearances in court. The amount of the bond is set by a judge or magistrate. Factors influencing the amount set include the seriousness of the charge, the defendant’s criminal history, and the defendant’s ties to the community. There are four types of bonds: Personal recognizance bonds (a.k.a. […]

March 21, 2001, WASHINGTON – Public hospitals cannot test pregnant women for drugs and turn the results over to police without consent, the Supreme Court said in a ruling that buttressed the Constitution’s protection against unreasonable searches. Some women who tested positive for drugs at a South Carolina public hospital were arrested from their beds shortly […]

Every attorney has a different strategy based on his/her experience, the facts, the local situation and other factors; you should pick one attorney in whom you have confidence and let him or her develop the strategy for you or with you. Remember also, there are many ways to win a case or resolve an issue, […]

When a crime is committed, who bears criminal responsibility? Certainly the person who actually committed the crime. But the law also holds others responsible, including those who “aided and abetted” the commission of the crime. For a simple example, take the case of the bank robber. We all know that the “getaway” man sitting outside […]