Criminal Defense

There are a few legal principles in criminal law that almost every American knows. One of those is a person's constitutional right to "plead the fifth". It comes up again and again in Congressional testimony, media reports of ongoing investigations, and in movies and television shows ranging from police procedurals to mafia stories. So, what does taking the fifth mean? Where does this right come from? And, importantly, what can we infer if a person does plead the fifth?

Making a prank phone call to your local McDonald's may seem like nothing more than a funny joke. What's the worst that could happen? Is Ronald McDonald going to drag you to county jail? Well, we hate to disappoint you would-be pranksters, but law enforcement could easily get involved depending on the kind of prank call. There are laws affecting prank calls and you could potentially serve jail time for your practical joke. A prank call gone wrong could easily leave someone with a misdemeanor or even a felony!

Missing persons reports appear routinely on crime and legal shows, but these reports involve much more dramatic situations in real life. By the time a missing persons report is filed, tensions are often running high, meaning important details might be missed. It doesn't help that TV and movies don't tell the whole story about how to file missing persons reports. They often leave out important information and say things that just aren't true. It doesn't help that TV and movies don't tell the whole story about how to file missing persons reports. There are important things to consider that are often left out. And there are some details that just aren't true.

An interaction with a police officer can quickly become tense. Even if you haven't done anything wrong, getting pulled over can feel uncomfortable or even unsafe. The statistics show why. According to data compiled by The Washington Post, about 1,000 people are fatally shot by police every year. Black Americans are killed by police at about twice the rate of white Americans.

Break out your tape measure Subject to a few exceptions, Arizona has banned you from filming the police on the job if they are within eight feet of you. Supporters of the law say it will help keep people safe and let the police do their jobs without interference. Critics say it would jeopardize the public's right to know what the police are up to (and we all know what Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin did to George Floyd, because we saw it on the video). Can Arizona really do this?

Domestic abuse is not just physical abuse, such as attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon. It also includes financial, sexual, and emotional abuse. Domestic violence is a violation of human and civil rights and victims deserve to feel as safe and secure as possible. Federal firearms laws have instated new strict guidelines for felons and convicted offenders looking to purchase a gun. Let's take a look at the laws, new and old, determining who can and can't purchase a gun after a domestic violence offense.