Have you ever heard someone tell a story of a past event many times and noticed that the story changed with each recounting? Is the narrator of the story lying? Is he/she altering the story to make it more appealing? Or is he/she relying on a distant memory that’s not so reliable? Tough questions all …
Our Memories-Fact, Fiction, or a Little Bit of Both? Read More »
Having already served 8 years of a 9-33 year prison sentence for armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges stemming from a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel in September 2007, OJ Simpson has a parole hearing set for July 20th in Nevada. Simpson will appear by video from Lovelock …
OJ Simpson’s Parole Hearing Set for July, May Be Free in October Read More »
Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial ended in a mistrial over the weekend after a jury could not agree as to his guilt or innocence. While the outcome was not entirely unexpected given the long deliberations of the jury, it left some legal scholars scratching their heads as to why the jurors had so much difficulty …
Cosby Mistrial and the Difficulties with “He Said, She Said” Cases Read More »
Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed legislation into law that essentially shifts the burden of proof from defendant to prosecutor in “Stand Your Ground” cases. This is a significant shift in the law since prior to this bill’s signing the Florida Supreme Court had ruled in 2015 that defendants have to prove in pretrial hearings …
Burden of Proof Shifts in Florida Stand Your Ground Cases Read More »
The short answer is yes. Police officers can lie, deceive, and falsify their true identities to obtain information from a suspect. Undercover sting operations are based on the premise of deception in order to catch criminals. It is a dangerous myth to think police have an ethical duty to tell the truth in all circumstances …
The right to privacy is as much a cherished Constitutional right as that of free speech or the right to bear arms. Opponents of this right argue that a “right to privacy” is not clearly enunciated in the Constitution. On the other hand, proponents of a right to privacy as well as the latest judicial …
Can a minor properly understand the implications of consenting to a police request for a search? That is an issue which is highlighted in an article published today in the Tampa Bay Times. For any police search, the consenting person must be able to understand their constitutional right to consent to a search and to …
For those who were born after the 1970’s it’s probably hard to imagine that for 190 years our country existed without those suspected of criminal activity to be read their legal rights. Most of us have scene enough police dramas in the movies and on tv to know that a suspect in a criminal case …
False arrest is everyone’s nightmare scenario. Conviction for a false arrest is a sentence that never ends. Today’s edition of the Tampa Bay Times features a story about a possible false arrest and false imprisonment case. In June of 1988, Leo Schofield was indicted on a first degree murder charge of his wife. He was …