The criminal justice system is based on the idea that a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty. In order to avoid unduly punishing someone who awaits a trial, courts are required to provide a speedy trial; they are not allowed to make someone languish in a...
Month: October 2011
Police stop elderly driver and insist on search
No one has an obligation to help police investigate a crime and if you are being stopped by a Washington, D.C., officer, it is wise to say as little as possible. There are certain rights that police officers cannot and should not infringe upon, such as the right to...
Sex offender registry does not prevent recidivism
If you have been convicted of and served your sentence for a sex crime, you will most likely still be subjected to 10 or more years of being a registered sex offender. Everyone in your neighborhood may know exactly what you were accused of doing. It may be next to...
Police officer shows picture of murder victim on Twitter
Anyone in Maryland and across the country that is tried for a crime is presumed to be innocent and this requires that the jury hearing the case must be impartial and free of bias. With the Internet and social media, it can be difficult to find jurors who are...
Supreme Court debates how far is too far with strip searches
Anyone who has been arrested before can tell you that it's a terrifying experience. To be put in jail while police figure out what to do with you is not only nerve-wracking, but humiliating. It is customary in many jails for newly admitted suspects to be...
Maryland’s new rape policies affect crime statistics
The Federal Bureau of Investigations has recently released its annual crime statistics for the nation, recording a 5 percent decline in forcible rape nationwide. While much of the nation saw a decrease in rape, Maryland reported a6.1 percent increase from 2009 to...
D.C. police using faulty breathalyzer tests
For nearly a decade, two Washington, D.C., police officers have been waging war with the city's residents, focusing on stopping and arresting people under suspicion for drunk driving. The two even carved out their own drunk driving niche within the Metropolitan Police...
Experts say more American workers use prescription drugs
After the recent arrest of 37 people at a Philadelphia Boeing plant, experts believe there is an increase in prescription drug use by American workers. While many employees are already subject to an invasive drug test prior to being hired, these reports could lead to...