Can the police enter a home without knocking?
Although the police are required to knock and announce themselves before entering a home with a search warrant, the law doesn't provide for any serious consequences if they simply break down the door ...
Criminal Law
What if a search warrant contains an error or incorrect address?
A search warrant is a document signed by a judge that gives the police the authority to enter your home and search through your belongings. A valid search warrant must provide a detailed description o...
A License to Search: Requirements of a Valid Search Warrant
The Constitution protects all Americans from unreasonable search and seizure of property by law enforcement. To make this principle a reality, every state has established general rules setting out how...
What is criminal contempt?
Criminal contempt is generally regarded as a disobedient or open disrespect for the court. Even though it may arise out of a criminal or civil case, it punishes conduct that violates a court's rule, r...
If I don’t know that something is against the law, how can I be charged with breaking the law?
You've heard the old adage: ignorance of the law is no defense. All citizens are charged with knowing the law. Probably the most common example of this is speed traps. When entering a new town, anyone...
What is disorderly conduct?
Disorderly conduct is a catch-all offense used to prohibit actions, threats, or words which could breach the peace or alarm others. When faced with a disorderly conduct charge, an individual should un...
Is education a civil right?
Technically speaking, education is not a recognized civil right. However, since the famous 1954 case of Brown v. The Board of Education, it has been illegal for public schools to discriminate on the b...
When am I entitled to pre-judgment or post-judgment interest?
If you are awarded a monetary amount in a court settlement, there are many situations in which you will be entitled to interest on the total. When this is allowed and how much the interest will be, as...
What are the legal definitions of damage and damages? Do they mean different things?
In the legal world, damage is defined as a loss or harm resulting from injury to a person, property or reputation. Damages, on the other hand, refers to compensation - such as a monetary judgment - pr...
Identity Theft: When Your Personal Financial Information Is Stolen
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing forms of theft in the United States. What you can do when your personal information is stolen....
Drivers License Suspension for Drug Possession Crimes
A judge can hand you a suspended license for possession of marijuana if your state's law authorizes the suspension. A few years ago, many states began implementing legislation to allow for the suspens...
Solicitation of a Minor Charges: Punishments, Penalties, Defenses
The explosion of a technological society with high tech gadgets has also launched an explosion of new criminal offenses. Most states now have laws to address adults who attempt to sexually exploit min...
Can school employees lie about the consequences of making an incriminating statement?
School employees are not required to read a juvenile or adult Miranda Rights. They are not law enforcement officers. However, school employees are not supposed to lie to a juvenile or adult about the ...
Are juvenile probation and community service alternatives to detention?
In many cases, a judge may sentence a juvenile alleged to have committed an act of juvenile delinquency to juvenile probation or community service rather than detention. A juvenile who is interested i...
Can a prosecutor use statements against a juvenile if there was no miranda warning?
Juveniles, generally defined as young people between the ages of 10 and 17, possess Miranda warnings in juvenile delinquency cases. Prosecutors cannot ask the court to admit evidence which includes st...
Who are juveniles?
Juveniles are generally defined as persons under the age of 18 and above the age of 10. An individual's age is usually established by testimony or a birth certificate. Each state and the federal gover...
Can a juvenile be released before charges are filed in juvenile delinquency court?
A juvenile may be released from a secure detention facility or jail before a prosecutor files charges against them in juvenile court. A judge may release a juvenile in a variety of ways....
What is ejectment?
Ejectment is a legal remedy to resolve conflicts between a landlord and tenant that can sometimes be used to remove a person from wrongfully occupying real estate. Ejectment can be available if a land...
Is mediation considered a legal proceeding?
Mediation is not a formal legal proceeding, although it may be required by a court that you at least try out the process of mediation in certain cases before bringing the issues to court to be decided...
How many appeals can there be?
How many appeals can there be?...
Get the Help You Need Today
Get free insurance quotes or connect with legal experts in minutes