Under new legislation, youth 15 years of age and under must be provided a consultation with a lawyer before being interrogated and waiving their Miranda rights. As we all know, the Miranda case held that if someone is in custody and being interrogated by the police they must be told…
Even if you aren’t familiar with the justice system, most people have heard of Miranda rights by watching TV. These are rights that are guaranteed to a person when he/she is arrested and the police want to interrogate the person. Before the police question anyone they have placed in custody,…
The jury selection process was dicey. Who among you is open to the idea that the police aren’t telling the truth and the Defendant is? A few hands went up. Most just stared at the Defendant wondering why she was going to trial. Who among you will judge the officers’…
In an effort to stamp out crime, the undercover officer entered the business slowly, looking around for any sign of the criminal activity. He thoughtfully removed a $100 bill and gave it to the suspect. He was directed into the darkness of the back room. Slowly, ever so slowly, he…
It wasn’t too long ago that I cautioned those who were comfortable with law enforcement practices to ask “Who watches the watchers?” On the heels of a nationwide scandal involving the NSA and their blatant violations of our Constitutional rights comes a scandal that strikes much closer to home. 18…
On November 8, 2013, the Los Angeles Times had a headline that read, “34 year wait for justice is over”. The defendant, Kash Register, was convicted of murder in 1979 on the testimony of a woman named Brenda Anderson. Register spent 34 years in State Prison maintaining his innocence. He…
Subvert the criminal justice system. Lie to the judge. Hide evidence. Sounds like a defendant in a criminal case doesn’t it? Who else could it be? If it isn’t the criminal defendant, it must be the much maligned criminal defense attorney, right? You know who he or she is, right?…
Feel like a cop roughed you up or is lying in his police report? Contrary to popular belief, not every person who is arrested is a liar, and sometimes they’re telling the truth when they tell people the cops beat them up or are lying about what happened. That’s not…
Are you trying to get your belongings back after the police took them away? It’s an all too common situation to be in. The police have taken you into custody or searched your house. After tearing through your stuff they decide to keep certain things that are valuable to you…
When the police arrive at a crime scene the yellow tape goes up securing the scene. We’ve all seen it on the television show, CSI. In fact, according to CSI Los Angeles, Miami, Navy and everywhere on television it’s the science of the crime scene investigation which solves the crime.…