The consumption of alcohol combined with an unpleasant interaction with another person can lead to a toxic situation. Tensions can run high, and you may become fearful of being harmed even before any fists are swung.If you are facing charges of assault after being...
Criminal Defense
Know what factors impact criminal sentencing
A person who is facing a criminal charge has a few possible ways of resolving the matter. Many people choose to work out a plea deal with the prosecution. Others plead guilty and throw themselves on the mercy of the court. Some take their case to trial. There are many...
Think about your goals to develop a defense strategy
Criminal charges must be address promptly, but you can't do this without evaluating your options. One of the first decisions you'll have to make is how you plan to plead to the charges. Most people opt to plead not guilty so they have a chance to develop a defense to...
Understand how your plea deal might impact your life
A person who is facing criminal charges might be offered a plea deal to resolve their case. When the defendant admits they committed the crime at hand, this can be a useful way to resolve the matter because it gets the case finished faster than what's possible if they...
Why Miranda rights are important
Many people in South Carolina know of their Miranda rights from watching television shows in which the famous warning is depicted at the scene of an arrest. However, people may be less certain about how these warnings carry over into real life and how it may affect...
Unconscious bias can impact judges’ rulings
Studies show that judges in South Carolina and across the U.S. are not always unbiased in the court room. This can lead to unfair rulings against certain defendants. For example, a Massachusetts judge recently had a defense attorney held in contempt of court and...
Reasons community service may be unfair
While community service has been used as a humane alternative for jail time for individuals who cannot afford to pay court fees, it seems that there are times when it is not as fair as some would imagine. South Carolina residents and visitors may be interested in...
Troubling statistics illustrate rising arrest rate
In Florida and across the country, an increasing number of Americans, especially young people, have been arrested. In fact, young people are much more likely to be arrested than they were in generations past. This comes despite the fact that violent crime has been...
Problems for felons in America
Felons in the United States lose many of their rights after a conviction. In addition to the more well-known losses of the rights to bear arms and vote, felons also cannot serve on a jury, live in certain places or adopt children. There are those who question whether...
Cognitive bias may play a role in wrongful convictions
In some cases, police or prosecutors in South Carolina and other states will engage in misconduct that wrongfully sends a defendant to prison. However, researchers from Texas State University say that defendants are wrongfully convicted based on a variety of other...