DNA is a relatively new tool in the criminal field. However, despite its rather young age, the technology for identifying and using DNA has grown exponentially. In fact, as technology has improved, DNA has helped to exonerate many people for crimes. Some people...
Being the subject of a criminal investigation can be harrowing. Even if you are innocent of the crime that police are investigating, you may have reason to be extremely concerned. This type of situation can seem fraught with uncertainty, but your plan of action needs...
A drug conviction has the potential to set you back in many areas of your life. It may hurt your family and your bank account, for starters. It may, too, leave you facing time behind bars, which may hinder your ability to hold down a job. However, depending on...
A criminal conviction sometimes has consequences related to immigration status. However, not every crime leads to deportation, as it needs to be a specific type of crime. Examples of crimes that result in deportation are aggravated felonies, domestic violence, most...
Sitting behind bars after a wrongful conviction can feel disheartening and hopeless. Despite your claims of innocence and the evidence presented at trial, a jury still found enough reason to convict you for the crime in question. Fortunately, you have the legal right...
While DNA testing is a major component in many criminal trials in Maryland and across the United States, it has not always been a part of the evidence process. Some defendants did not have access to DNA evidence gathered during the case, which could potentially lead...
Theivery comes in many different guises and takes many different names: embezzlement, fraud, larceny, grand larceny and petty theft, to name a few. The reasons for theft involve many complicated factors such as joblessness, desperation and hunger. Recent statistics...
In my most recent blog, I examined how judges decide whether to have serious cases involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds handled in juvenile court or as adult criminal cases. For a variety of reasons—including the fact that, although the juvenile court has...
In preparation for your release from prison, you may have already started to organize personal documentation so you can prepare to find a job. Even though you may experience challenges along the way, finding a job after your release can accelerate your effort to...
The most rigorous study ever done on a widely-used forensic technique – bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) – reveals disturbing error rates and disagreements among certified analysts. The study, published in the August edition of Forensic Science International,...