Recent Blog Posts
Synthetic DNA Marker Method Could Curb Art Forgeries
The rise of art forgeries entering into the market has led the art world to consider what it can do to not only criminally penalize forgers, but also to make it difficult for forgeries to be let into the market place at all. According to the New York Times, works of art may be… Read More »
Twenty-Eight Year Sentence for Food Poisoning Sheds Light on the Crime of Food Poisoning
In September 2015, a peanut company executive, Steve Parnell, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in the distribution of peanut butter contaminated by salmonella that led to the deaths of nine victims and seriously sickened at least 714 people. Parnell was convicted by a jury and was found to have… Read More »
Mitigating Circumstances: Are They Explanations or Excuses?
For criminal defendants during their criminal proceedings, evidence is admitted throughout the case by both sides to prove (or disprove) the elements of the crime that they have been charged with. For example, homicide crimes require that the prosecution and defense put forward evidence to prove or disprove the mens rea and the actus… Read More »
The Criminality of Animal Cruelty in Florida
In various sections of the law, animals are treated and defined in such a different manner that it may be hard to understand how animals fit into our lives. Animals, in family law, criminal law, civil law, etc., can be considered as objects, as property, as employees (for example, a horse on a farm… Read More »
Florida Attorney General Announces Thousands of Rape Kits Remain Untested Over; A Backlog over Several Years
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made an announcement early September 2015 shedding light on a considerable backlog of DNA evidence collected as part of sexual assault exams that remain untested. Bondi estimated that thousands of these rape kit DNA samples that span for years have been waiting in line to be tested due to… Read More »
One Step Closer To Removing Ban on Concealed Weapons on College Campuses in Florida: Bill for 2016
The 2016 legislative session will bring to light considerable issues surrounding the rights of gun owners. Recently, Florida’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Senate Criminal Justice Committee are helping push forward a bill that would permit concealed carry permit holders on college campuses; the purpose behind the bill is that concealed carry permit gun holders… Read More »
Miranda Rights: Extended Interrogation Can Lead to Involuntary Confessions
In our criminal justice system, we have drafted and put into force rules of criminal procedure to outline the rights that are imbued to those who have been arrested and charged with a crime. One of those rights is the freedom to be free from coerced or involuntary confessions and any sort of interrogation… Read More »
The Importance of Chain Of Custody in Your Criminal Proceeding
In the criminal justice system, the statutes, rules and regulations regarding criminal law, criminal procedure, and evidence are standards by which the system may help to ensure that criminal defendants have access to a fair and impartial justice. Having the standards codified within the criminal statutes and codes provides criminal defendants (and the attorneys… Read More »
New Study Points to Correlation Between Low Resting Heart Rate and Violent Tendencies
Our society consistently looks to figure out what characteristics and traits can predict criminal behavior. For hundreds of years, studies were conducted looking at physical traits, genetic makeup, and any physical hints as to why some people act in a certain behavior. Even though no one profile fits what a criminal is and motives… Read More »
Solitary Confinement: The Damaging Psychological and Physical Effects on Juveniles in Adult Prisons
In state prisons, the understanding of the legal rights of inmates is extremely limited. The concept of prisons is that the inmates and prisoners who are held within their walls committed a crime against society, and as such, the consequences assigned to them is the loss of their liberty and other rights as a… Read More »