What is a Grand Jury Indictment?
A grand jury is a group of impartial citizens who hear only the government's side of a case to determine whether there is enough evidence for a person to be brought to trial for a crime.
Why Does Louisiana Lead the Nation in Murders?
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...
First-Degree Murder vs. Second-Degree Murder
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...
What Are the Most Common Types of Violent Crimes?
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...
What Is Negligent Homicide?
Homicide involves the killing of a human being. In Louisiana, negligent homicide is a felony offense that occurs through the criminal negligence of another person, the “actor” in the crime. This also includes the killing of a person by a dog or another type of animal where the owner failed to res...
What Is the Difference Between a First and Second Degree Murder Charge?
Murder may seem like a simple act – Actor A kills Victim B. However, as we all know from watching movies and TV, murder is not always simple, often not easily explained, and sometimes hard to nail down. Because it's unlawful, it is like all other illegal acts, subject to a precise definition in w...
DNA Cold Case - 2nd Degree Murder Charge
Cold case investigators arrested a Baton Rouge woman Friday in the 2000 stabbing death of her business partner after DNA testing linked her to the killing, police said. That statement sounds pretty certain, especially for 2nd degree murder charge. But I would guess that the DNA link, is just tha...
3 Arrests in Donaldsonville Killing
A reading of this article in The Advocate brings up a lot of questions. The claim is that there was one shooter, and that person killed a man in a drug transaction gone bad. But then goes on to say that the people with the shooter were also arrested for “First-degree Murder”, ho...
