Criminal Defense Articles
Interested in reading the latest information and news on criminal defense legislation and cases? Total Criminal Defense publishes articles weekly on interesting and informative criminal legislation and cases from around the nation!
Recent Articles
- Identification Errors Increase as DNA Science Expands (1/2/2009)
- Court To Decide If Prison Overcrowding is Unconstitutional (1/2/2009)
- Martha “Sunny” von Bulow Passes Away Years after Husband’s Acquittal (12/29/2008)
- Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Arrested For Public Corruption (12/19/2008)
- Tip Helps Police Solve Cold Murder Case (12/19/2008)
- Report Names New Orleans Most Crime Infested City (12/9/2008)
- Bush Stingy With Pardons So Far (12/2/2008)
- NYPD Battles FBI and Justice Department Over Surveillance (11/25/2008)
- Unlikely Support for the Pardon of Convicted Sailors (11/20/2008)
- Florida Budget Crunch Could Eliminate Amber Alerts and Sex Offender Registry Notifications (11/20/2008)
- Court Says Being Homeless Is Not a Crime (11/13/2008)
- Felony Conviction May Lead to Senator’s Resignation (11/11/2008)
- Craigslist and Law Enforcement Strike a Deal (11/11/2008)
- Census Count of Prison Inmates Distorts Democracy (11/6/2008)
- Missouri Public Defenders Refuse New Clients (10/28/2008)
- Nursing Home Sex Tapes Not Admissible In Court (10/23/2008)
- Economic Struggles Turn Violent (10/21/2008)
- Inmate Executed After Obesity Argument Fails (10/16/2008)
- Criminal Prosecutions over Financial Crisis Expected (10/14/2008)
- Incriminating Evidence Extracted from Jail Calls (10/9/2008)
- Appeals Court Upholds Sex Offender Ban (10/7/2008)
- Reduced Sentencing in Reckless Homicide Case Considered Outrageous by Victims’ Families (10/7/2008)
- Supreme Court Asked to Rehear Kennedy v. Louisiana (10/2/2008)
- Supreme Court Postpones Execution (10/2/2008)
- Mislabeling Sexual Offenders (10/2/2008)
- Safe Haven Laws Cause Child Abandonment (9/30/2008)
- Former Teacher Argues that Custodial Sexual Battery Conviction Does Not Make the Grade (9/30/2008)
- Crime Numbers Experiencing a Drop (9/30/2008)
- Reversing the Trend toward Violence (9/30/2008)
- Survey Finds Many Election Officials Clueless on Voting Rights of People Convicted of Crime (9/25/2008)
- Do You Really Have the Right to Remain Silent? (9/23/2008)
- When Those ‘Unenforced’ Laws Are Suddenly Enforced (9/18/2008)
- Record High in Marijuana Arrests Gives Life to Old Debate on Legalization (9/18/2008)
- Change in Ohio Self Defense Law (9/18/2008)
- The Underground Life of the Oil Industry (9/16/2008)
- Sex Crime Defendants to be Tested for STDs (9/16/2008)
- Teen Scuffle leads to a Conviction for Punching out Boy’s Teeth (9/11/2008)
- Report: State of the U.S. Drug Affair (9/11/2008)
- Hidden World of Corruption Revealed: The Connections between Egypt’s Government and Powerful Business Moguls (9/11/2008)
- Billionaire Backs Effort to Decriminalize Pot (9/9/2008)
- Bad Joke Lands Politician Behind Bars (9/4/2008)
- Police High Jack Mayor’s Household in a Botched Police Raid (9/4/2008)
- New DOJ Rules for White Collar Criminal Investigations (9/4/2008)
- New Grants Aim to Protect Communities and Reduce Violent Crime (8/26/2008)
- Necessary Challenges to Forensic Evidence (8/26/2008)
- Some Cities Choose to Fight for Handgun Ban despite Supreme Court Decision—including DC (8/21/2008)
- Foreclosure and Crime: An Endless Cycle? (8/21/2008)
- Lawmakers Look to Expand Firearms-Carry Licenses (8/21/2008)
- Legislators Work to Beef up Laws Regarding Sex Offenders (8/21/2008)
- Mom Cited by Fireman for Using Profanity (8/21/2008)
- Secret Confessions Can Crack Cold Cases (8/12/2008)
- Grand Jury Faults Police for Murder of Informant (8/12/2008)
- Prosecutors Press for Personal Protection (8/7/2008)
- Chicago Suburbs Repeal Handgun Bans in Wake of D.C. Supreme Court Decision (8/5/2008)
- Bush Nods First Military Execution in 51 Years (8/5/2008)
- Drug Court Offers Alternative to Jail for Non-Violent Drug Offenders in WA (7/31/2008)
- Faked Lab Report Used in Trial “An Honest Mistake,” San Jose PD Claims (7/31/2008)
- The Case for Compassionate Release (7/31/2008)
- Cop Faces Murder Charges for Taser Killing during Arrest (7/29/2008)
- Are Forced Injections the New Taser? (7/29/2008)
- Have Sex Offender Registry Laws Made Communities Less Safe? (7/24/2008)
- Smell of Pot Smoke Does Not Equal Probable Cause (7/22/2008)
- “Gay Panic” Defense Falling Out of Favor, Little Used by Criminal Defense Lawyers (7/22/2008)
- Brothers Save Their Homes from Fire but Face Criminal Penalties for Their Methods (7/17/2008)
- Kentucky’s Parole Credit System Breeds Dissent (7/15/2008)
- Lawsuit over Muncie Raid Emphasizes How Unlawful Search Victims Can Find Legal Remedy (7/15/2008)
Article Categories:
- Criminal Evidence
- Criminal Defense Legislation
- Juvenile Justice
- Celebrity Criminal Defense
- Supreme Court Cases
- Criminal Defense & Technology
- Sex Crimes
- Post-Conviction Life
- Major Criminal News Stories
- Unusual Criminal Defense Cases
Criminal Evidence
- The Problem of Withholding Evidence (5/13/2008)
- No Drugs Found, Yet Drug Charges Stand after No-Knock Warrant (5/13/2008)
- Terrorism and Gun Violation Sweeps in TN and OH Fail to Turn up Terrorists or Guns (5/6/2008)
- DNA Evidence: How Infallible is it? (4/24/2008)
- Controversy over Wiretap Evidence in Massachusetts Murder (4/22/2008)
- Arrested for Crimes They Didn’t Commit…Yet (4/1/2008)
- DNA Samples Required for All Sex Offenders in CA (1/24/2008)
- FBI Developing System of Biometric Identification Data (12/31/2007)
- Evidence Found by Jury Grounds for Retrial (12/27/2007)
- Chicago Police Tampering With Evidence in Criminal Cases? (12/13/2007)
- At Long Last, FBI Agrees to Review Convictions Impacted by Flawed Bullet Analysis Testimony (12/6/2007)
- Fingerprint Surgery Brings Charges against Plastic Surgeon (11/21/2007)
- The New Controversy Surrounding Fingerprint Evidence (11/13/2007)
- 24-Year Prison Sentence… for Nothing? (10/30/2007)
- Man Cleared of Rape Conviction after 25 Years (10/18/2007)
- "CSI Effect" Influencing Criminal Trials (10/16/2007)
- The Truth about False Confessions (10/11/2007)
- Too Many Wrongfully Convicted (10/11/2007)
- Ohio Trial Court Allows Polygraph Evidence to Free Defendant (9/18/2007)
- DNA Databases Rapidly Expanding around the World (1/16/2007)
Criminal Defense Legislation
- Castration Bill Approved by Louisiana House Panel (5/29/2008)
- Bill Would Criminalize Recording, Distributing Violent Acts (5/20/2008)
- Proposed Florida Bill Would Mean Recorded Felony Interrogations (4/10/2008)
- The Criminality of the Absurd: Outdated or Irrational Laws in the U.S. (3/20/2008)
- Many States Deciding If Child Rapists Deserve To Die (3/18/2008)
- Wyoming Considers, Votes against Easier Reinstatement of Felon Voting Rights (2/21/2008)
- Massachusetts Governor Seeks to Reform Criminal Justice (1/15/2008)
- Internet Ban for Sex Offenders in New Jersey (1/3/2008)
- New Jersey Lawmakers Set to Vote on Death Penalty Ban (12/11/2007)
- Limits of Self-Defense Law Tested in Texas (12/4/2007)
- Michigan Drug Law Easier on Serious Criminals? (10/18/2007)
- Drug Enforcement Law Aims to Take Out Smurfs (10/11/2007)
- GPS for Sex Offenders Becoming More Popular (10/04/2007)
- Violent Criminals in Connecticut Less Likely to Get Parole (10/01/2007)
- Federal Judge Rejects Parts of USA Patriot Act (9/27/2007)
- Texas Allows Death Penalty for Child Rapists (9/21/2007)
- Texas Marijuana Law Maintains Criminal Charge, Offers Citations (9/14/2007)
- Colorado Legislators Would Allow Criminal Records Sealed - Will the Governor Agree? (6/1/2007)
- Louisiana Supreme Court Upholds Death Penalty in Non-Death Child-Rape Case (5/30/2007)
- Alaska Crime Bill Tackles a Glacier of Criminal Defense Issues! (5/25/2007)
Juvenile Justice
- A Childish Prank Has Teen in Adult Court Spotlight (2/21/2008)
- Teenagers Charged as Adults – the State and the Crime May be More Important than the Age of the Accused (12/31/2007)
- Family Deported after Teen is Caught with Marijuana (11/21/2007)
- RI Repeals Law making 17-Year-Olds Adults for Criminal Offenses (11/13/2007)
- Teen Jailed for Consensual Sex Released after Two Years (11/13/2007)
- Teenage Wasteland—The Sad State of Juvenile Justice (11/13/2007)
- High School Soccer Game Leads to Criminal Assault (10/16/2007)
- TX Youth Prison Conditions Unlivable (10/09/2007)
- Rhode Island Law Makes Financial Aid Tougher to Score for Those with Drug Convictions (9/24/2007)
- Study Shows Increase in Juvenile Sex Offenders - and in Violence (6/19/2007)
- Consensual Oral Sex Lands Teen in Prison (6/15/2007)
Celebrity Criminal Defense
- R. Kelly Legal Strategy Shows the Difference a Skilled Criminal Defense Attorney Can Make (6/24/2008)
- Writers for HBO’s The Wire Offer Criticism and Solutions for Criminal Justice System (4/10/2008)
- Phil Spector Murder Trial Ends With Hung Jury (10/04/2007)
- Michael Vick Faces New Criminal Charges, Civil Lawsuit (10/01/2007)
- O.J. Simpson Back in Trouble Again—Arrested for Kidnapping and Robbery Charges for Stealing Sports Memorabilia of Him! (9/24/2007)
- Duke Lacrosse District Attorney Mike Nifong's 24 Hours in Jail (9/14/2007)
- Criminal Charges Baffle Even U.S. Senators (9/12/2007)
- NFL Superstar Michael Vick Enters Guilty Plea In Dogfighting Case (8/31/2007)
- Quarterback Michael Vick to Plead Guilty to Federal Dogfighting Charges (8/24/2007)
- Congress Challenges WWE after Steroid Findings in Wrestler Murder-Suicide (8/2/2007)
- Box Cutter Robbery Victim Says Attacker Looked Like Movie Star (7/3/2007)
- NFL Aims to Tackle Public Relations Problem of Player Arrests! (4/27/2007)
- Bengals 2007 Arrests Picking Up Right Where 2006 Left Off (1/23/2007)
Supreme Court Cases
- Supreme Court Bans Execution on Child Rapists (7/1/2008)
- Supreme Court: California Prisons Must Desegregate (6/19/2008)
- Supreme Court Challenges Prisoner Detention at Guantanamo Bay, Upholding Habeas Corpus for Non-U.S. Citizens (6/17/2008)
- Court: Massachusetts Police Must Take Lie Detector Tests (6/5/2008)
- Supreme Court: Child Pornography Laws Stand (5/29/2008)
- Supreme Court Finds No Violation of Fourth Amendment Rights (5/1/2008)
- Lethal Injection Method Upheld by the Supreme Court (4/24/2008)
- Public Awaits Supreme Court Decision on D.C. Handgun Ban (3/27/2008)
- Arson Indictment Dismissed for Texas State Supreme Court Justice and Wife (1/22/2008)
- Question of Banishment Goes to Georgia's Supreme Court (1/15/2008)
- U.S. Supreme Court Adds Understanding to Restrictions on Executing the Mentally Ill (7/10/2007)
- U.S. Supreme Court Holds Defendant to Strict Statutory Deadline for Appeal Despite Judge's Error (6/29/2007)
- Supreme Court Clarifies When Juror Opposed to Death Penalty Can be Removed from Jury Pool (6/15/2007)
- Louisiana Supreme Court Upholds Death Penalty in Non-Death Child-Rape Case (5/30/2007)
- North Carolina Court Takes New Approach to Sentencing after Supreme Court Ruling (2/23/2007)
- US Supreme Court Increases Your 6th Amendment Rights (2/9/2007)
Criminal Defense & Technology
- Drivers Use Technology and a Social Network to Dodge Cops (6/12/2008)
- Popular Website Is a Hit with Criminals! (2/7/2008)
- Employee Takes Nerves out on Computer Files (2/1/2008)
- Detroit Mayor's Text Messages Point to Perjury (2/1/2008)
- YouTube (along with Dumb-Witted Criminals) Prove Valuable to Law Enforcement (1/24/2008)
- Searching Laptops without Probable Cause—What You Should Know! (1/17/2008)
- FBI Developing System of Biometric Identification Data (12/31/2007)
- Police Perjury via MP3 (12/20/2007)
- Criminal Defense Attorneys Making a List, Checking It Twice (10/23/2007)
Sex Crimes
- Suicide Rate Shockingly High Among Child Porn Suspects (6/26/2008)
- Texas Law Tough on Sexual Relationships between Teachers and Students (4/15/2008)
- Manchester Says “No” To Housing Restrictions For Sex Offenders (2/28/2008)
- Eviction for Homeless Sex Offenders? (2/14/2008)
- Child Molester's Stalker Evokes Little Children (12/18/2007)
- Fashion Designer Anand Jon Indicted for Over 100 Counts of Rape and Sexual Assault (10/11/2007)
- Oregon Corrections Officers Charged With Several Offenses (9/24/2007)
- No Sex Discrimination in California Criminal Charges (9/21/2007)
- Man Trying to Help "Woman in Distress" Busted by Chicago Police for Soliciting Prostitute!b (9/18/2007)
- Convicted Peeping Tom Sues City, Wants Porn Collection Back (9/12/2007)
- Airman Who Alleges She Was Raped Faces Court-Martial For Indecent Acts (8/14/2007)
- Dateline Online Child Predator Sting Ends in Suicide of Prosecutor (7/6/2007)
- Mentally Disabled Mingle with Sex Offenders in Pennsylvania Boarding House (6/22/2007)
- Study Shows Increase in Juvenile Sex Offenders - and in Violence (6/19/2007)
- Consensual Oral Sex Lands Teen in Prison (6/15/2007)
- Senior Food Fight Prank Is No Laughing Matter (6/15/2007)
Post-Conviction Life
- Inmates' Legal Immigration Status to Be Checked (6/26/2008)
- Unconstitutional Conditions in California Prisons Could Mean Mass Release (6/3/2008)
- Felony Convictions Keep 5.3 Million Americans from Voting (4/29/2008)
- Second Chance Act Will Shift Focus to Rehabilitating Convicts (4/15/2008)
- Inmates Eligible for Early Release Frustrated by Delays (4/8/2008)
- Getting a Job after a Felony (4/3/2008)
- Extra Jail Time, Anyone? (12/27/2007)
- Pardon Me, Mr. President (12/18/2007)
- Vermont Program Shows Early Success at Reintegrating Ex-Cons (12/11/2007)
- Criminal to Be Robbed of His Lottery Winnings? (12/6/2007)
- Political Candidate IS a Crook (11/13/2007)
- Criminal Court Closes at Five – Even When Life is at Stake (10/11/2007)
- Program Offers Ex-Felons a Fresh Start (10/01/2007)
- FSU Study Explores Effects of Felon Labels (9/27/2007)
Major Criminal News Stories
- Suicide Attempt Ends In Murder Conviction (7/10/2008)
- Commission: CA's Capital Punishment System Nearing Collapse (7/10/2008)
- More than Half of Gun Deaths Are Suicides (7/8/2008)
- Lawyers Hope Sex Will Stop Execution (6/19/2008)
- Judge Bans the Word "Rape" at Rape Trial (6/17/2008)
- Illinois Police in Contempt of Court (6/12/2008)
- Perjury Botches Murder-for-Hire Trial (6/10/2008)
- "One Strike" Laws in Public Housing Undermine Community Service Efforts (6/3/2008)
- HIV Positive Man in Prison for Spitting (5/20/2008)
- Appeals Court Says Prosecutors May Be Sued for Wrongly Putting Man in Prison (4/22/2008)
- Habitual Offender Sentenced to Church (3/27/2008)
- Prison Closings Could Mean Economic Hardship for NY Towns (3/17/2008)
- ICE Sees Record Numbers of Criminals Deported in 2007 (3/6/2008)
- Teacher Terror at a Pennsylvania Middle School (2/14/2008)
- Little League Dad Jailed for Threatening Coach (2/7/2008)
- Marijuana Vending Machines Raise Legal Questions (2/7/2008)
- Home Invasion Updates (2/1/2008)
- Rallies and Public Outcry over "Jena Six" Recall Civil Rights Movement Protests (10/01/2007)
- Bomb Instructor Activist's Freedom May Hinge on His Intentions (9/21/2007)
- Illinois Senators Ask French Embassy to Reconsider Extradition of Confessed Murderer (9/06/2007)
- Australian "Terrorist" Plea Deal Shows Failings of Guantanamo Tribunal System (4/2/2007)
- Libby Resolution has CIA Agents Worried (3/9/2007)
- International Criminal Court to Try Congolese Militant (1/30/2007)
- Louisiana Fraud Nets Fake CIA Agent Nearly $1 Million (1/26/2007)
Unusual Criminal Defense Cases
- Parents Can Be Jailed for Child School Absences in Indiana (7/8/2008)
- Extracting Drug Statistics from Sewage (7/3/2008)
- Crime Starts with Crime Stoppers? (6/24/2008)
- Jury: No Assault in Grunting Biker Case (6/12/2008)
- 78-Year-Old Man Arrested for Giving Woman a Ride Home (6/5/2008)
- Prison Warden's Human Touch Yields Big Rewards (5/6/2008)
- Pot "Addicts" Sentenced To Treatment (4/1/2008)
- Murder Charges for Man Who Defended His Home (3/25/2008)
- Conviction Dismissed for 6th Amendment Violation (3/25/2008)
- Prison Crowding Causing Health Concerns in CT (3/18/2008)
- Man Charged With Murder For 1966 Shooting (3/17/2008)
- Lawmakers Work on Reducing Inmate Population (3/6/2008)
- Firefighter Wins $17,500 after Bad Arrest (2/28/2008)
- Fake Bomb or Free Speech? The Difference Is Up To 2.5 Years and $5,000 (2/14/2008)
- Felony Charges for History Thief (2/7/2008)
- Well "Orange" You An Incensed Driver! (2/1/2008)
- Body Snatcher Ringleader Poised to Plead Guilty (1/22/2008)
- Non-Racial Gray Areas in Black White's Conviction (1/3/2008)
- Criminal Defense and Amnesia: The Importance of Memory (12/27/2007)
- Gag Order Requested for DUI Trial (10/30/2007)
- Civil to Criminal Court—A Surprising Case (10/23/2007)
- The Wrong Name Can Land You in Jail (10/16/2007)
- After Bizarre DUI Arrest, Beer Cans Litter Interstate (10/09/2007)
- "Superlawyer" Cape Cited as Questionable Expenditure for a District Attorney (9/21/2007)
- Florida Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking for Possession of Legally Prescribed Drugs Released From Prison (8/2/2007)
- Identity Theft Victim Falsely Arrested For Check Fraud Plans to Sue (6/29/2007)
- Cartoon Network Fiasco Just Latest in Long Line of Bad Bomb Stunts and Jokes (2/6/2007)