What is an Arraignment and How is It Used?
May 15, 2013Texas law defines an arraignment as a person’s first appearance before a judge after an arrest. This is the first step in the criminal prosecution of a person charged with a crime. Most people are aware of everyone’s right to a speedy trial, but most don’t realize that people also have the right to a speedy more >
Comments (no responses)Pretrial Release: Freed on Bail or Your Own Recognizance
May 8, 2013People who have previously been charged with a crime likely know how bail works. Whenever a person pleads not guilty to a charge, their trial could be set at a time months in the future. Some serious crimes aren’t even tried for years in some cases. Whether a judge grants bail or not will be more >
Comments (no responses)Withdrawing a Guilty Plea
May 1, 2013The majority of criminal cases that currently reach conclusion do so with a guilty plea. Though it seems counterintuitive, a plea bargain may benefit everyone in question. The state benefits from not having to pay for a criminal trial, the prosecutor and judge benefit by not having to try a case, and the defendant benefits more >
Comments (no responses)Possession and Consumption of Alcohol by Minors
April 24, 2013Spring and summer are two seasons when underage drinking increases. Teens are more likely to be involved in car accidents after consuming alcohol than adults are. Tragically, hundreds of teenagers die each year in alcohol-related traffic accidents. Even if he is not injured in an accident, a teenager can still face criminal sanctions if he more >
Comments (no responses)Witness Sequestration or Exclusion From the Courtroom
April 17, 2013In a criminal trial, it’s imperative that witnesses do not influence each other’s testimony. In order to ensure this does not happen, a motion for sequestration is sometimes filed by one or both parties. This motion asks that certain witnesses not be allowed inside the courtroom until after they have testified. Sequestered witnesses are placed more >
Comments (no responses)What is Money Laundering?
April 10, 2013White-collar crimes are illegal activities that most often take place in a business or corporation. These crimes usually consist of attempts to illegally obtain money and then conceal the stolen funds. Covering up the process of stealing money by making the funds appear legitimate is known as money laundering. This activity got its name because more >
Comments (no responses)