The rules of evidence were created to limit the introduction of prejudicial evidence, and to ensure that the evidence that was allowed had some substantive impact on the matter at hand. Despite this very noble goal, evidence that lacks scientific validity, substantive...
A conviction on drug charges can carry very serious criminal penalties including jail time and hefty fines. In the past, the friends and acquaintances of overdose victims were too afraid of being charged with a drug crime themselves to seek assistance for those in...
In the United States individuals who have not yet reached the age of majority are generally viewed as juveniles in the eyes of the criminal justice system. The juvenile law system is very different than the adult criminal justice system, and it requires specific...
Being charged with a serious criminal offense such as a sex crime can be a scary moment in a person's life. While it may seem overwhelming or hopeless at the time, there are actually many arguments that can be raised to counter a charge or appeal a conviction. New...
Long before the invention of the modern judicial system, society recognized self-defense as a legitimate form of violence. This universally accepted principal, that people have the right to defend themselves against the aggressions of others, even when such behavior...
The New Jersey rules of evidence, like the federal rules, were designed to govern how forms of proof are offered at trial. Under the federal rules of evidence, for example, a prosecutor cannot introduce evidence of a past crime for fear it may prejudice the jury. This...
Juvenile justice is based in part on the belief that juvenile offenders, more so than adults, are redeemable. The origins of juvenile law in the U.S. can be traced back to the mid-1800s, when lawmakers began to worry that institutionalizing children with adults was...
Citizens accused of crimes in the United State have certain procedural rights. Some of these procedural rights are guaranteed in the U.S. constitution, while others are imbedded in state and federal statutes. Regardless of whether procedural rights are constitutional...
During the course on an investigation, police in New Jersey will often perform numerous tasks aimed at discovering the identity of those suspected of a crime, including interviewing bystanders who may have witnessed the event or know something of the situation. In...
Being charged with a crime is can be a very scary experience. Depending on the charges, an individual charged with a crime faces the possibility of years in prison and large monetary fines. Due to the magnitude of these potential penalties, it is important that anyone...