The right to a speedy trial is given to us in the Constitution under the 6th Amendment. "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall...
In the U.S., the role of a public defender is to represent clients who cannot pay for private counsel and who are at risk of losing their liberty if convicted. The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without ...
Statistics of Violence in New Orleans and Surrounding Cities If you are a resident of Louisiana, then you know there is so much to adore about the Pelican State. Filled with sports fanatics, a subtropical climate, delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine, and a lower cost of living than the rest of th...
Find Out if You Are Legally Obligated to File a Tax Return In the year 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government extended the yearly federal tax filing deadline from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021. For some, this extension has made tax season a bit less stressful, but there is no...
What “Shall-Issue” Laws Mean and How They Affect Your Rights in the Boat Lover's Dream State, Louisiana Gun ownership is regulated by federal law, including restriction of the ownership of specific types of firearms. The National Firearms Act puts restrictions on the sale or possession of short-b...
What Does a First-Degree Murder Charge Mean? A first-degree murder refers to an unlawful killing that is willful and premeditated. It is the most serious of all homicide offenses in Louisiana. First-degree murder is punishable by death or a sentence of life in prison at hard labor without benefit...
About Criminal Prostitution Law and What Acts Are Considered Prostitution Prostitution is defined as the exchange of sexual activity for money. It is illegal in all of the U.S. except in 12 of Nevada's 16 counties. In 1971, the Storey County Commission officially sanctioned Joe Conforte's Mustang...
Improving Quality of Life for Citizens Through Safer Communities Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is a multi-disciplinary approach of crime prevention utilizing urban and architectural design to reduce opportunities for crime. The theories of Crime Prevention Through Environmental De...
Common Examples of Court-ordered Community Service Court-ordered community service, also called community restitution, is a form of punishment that benefits the community that was harmed by the offender's crime. A judge has the authority to sentence a defendant to court-ordered community service,...
Reviewing DNA and Forensic Science Evidence Forensic investigations involve gathering and analyzing crime-related physical evidence in order to determine guilt or reach a conclusion in a case. During a forensic investigation, investigators will analyze blood, fluid, fingerprints, and residue to b...
Learn About the Main Types of Violent Crimes In the U.S., violent crimes are defined as incidents that involve force or the threat of force. In 2019, there were 1.2 million violent crimes reported in the country. This means that every year, millions of individuals find themselves being accused of...
An Inside Look at Federal Crimes, Procedures, and Penalties The difference between state and federal crimes is significant. While state and federal charges should not be treated lightly, accusations brought by the federal government are particularly terrifying. This is because the US government h...
Avoid Federal Charges this Holiday Season According to the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), any fraud that involves the US mail is mail fraud, whether it originates in the mail, by phone, or online. As such, you should be aware of the following types of mail fraud that federal agencies such ...
What Is Extortion? Extortion is the communication of threats to another with the intention to obtain anything of value or any acquittance, advantage, or immunity of any description. If convicted, you could suffer imprisonment for one to 15 years in addition to fines, victim restitution, and more....
A Closer Look at Louisiana ‘Stand Your Ground' Laws Imagine this. It is 3 a.m. and you wake up to the sound of footsteps in your living room downstairs. You check your outdoor security camera footage to see if anyone broke into your house. To your surprise, someone did, in fact, break into your h...
Lead as a Possible Influence of Crime Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal that is found in the air, soil, water, homes, buildings and more. Fossil fuels such as gasoline in addition to paint, ceramics, pipes, batteries, cosmetics and more have historically contained lead, which is harmful t...
Staggering Truths of Domestic Violence October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, meaning there is no better time to discuss the key facts and figures of this crime. Domestic violence accounts for physical, verbal, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, among others, and more than 10 ...
LA Firearm Laws Louisiana is well-known for its relatively lenient firearm laws. As on open-carry state that typically does not require background checks to purchase a firearm, it's fair to say that the Second Amendment is a major priority in the state. For clarification, “firearm” means any pist...
How DWI Charges Impact Your Driving Privileges Driving while intoxicated (DWI) carries more penalties than you may realize. As a reminder, a DWI charge is issued when a driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or above. Besides the typical jail times and fines, you may also lose a key co...
Louisiana's Significant Victory in Higher Education Louisiana is the first state in the nation to implement a statewide ban prohibiting public colleges from asking applicants about their criminal records. Considering that Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country, this is a huge...
Is It a Crime to Defend Yourself in Louisiana? Let's say you are walking home by yourself from a bar in the late hours of the night. While you are walking along the sidewalk, you see a person about 50 feet ahead leaning up against the wall and making eye contact with you. You continue walking, an...
DNA Evidence Can Help or Hurt You DNA evidence is among the most valuable pieces of evidence used in criminal cases. No two people have the same DNA, meaning the use of such evidence can either prove a person's innocence or guilt with great accuracy. While this powerful tool has helped exonerate ...
When Your Freedom Is at Stake, You Must Be Prepared Facing criminal accusations of any kind can catch anyone off guard, regardless of whether they've been arrested before or not. Following an arrest, you must act strategically and hire a criminal defense attorney right away so they can protect yo...
Louisiana Is Tough When Punishing Sex Crimes Sex crimes are among the most serious offenses one can commit. Thus, the state prosecutes such crimes very harshly and does not show mercy for the accused. Having experienced, skilled legal defense in your corner could save you from suffering the intim...
Treating You Like You Are Innocent Until Proven Guilty The criminal justice system is notorious for its harsh treatment towards the accused. Defendants can be treated as prisoners before even getting sentenced, and prisoners themselves can be treated as sub-human during their sentence and even af...
