| Juvenile Arrests and Procedures |
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| When a juvenile is arrested they are entitled to many of the same rights that an adult is entitled to upon arrest. More... |
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| Motion for an Acquittal |
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| After a defendant is convicted, he may file a motion for an acquittal. An acquittal is a formal certification of innocence or a finding of not guilty. Typically, the basis for filing a motion for an acquittal is that the evidence does not support the verdict. More... |
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| Bank Fraud and Financial Institutions |
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| Congress enacted a bank fraud statute as part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. The purpose of the bank fraud statute was to fill the gaps that existed with respect to fraud against federally chartered or insured institutions. Thereafter, other federal acts were passed to expand the scope and coverage of the bank fraud statute. Some of the other acts included the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, the Crime Control Act of 1990, and the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act. More... |
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| A DEFENDANT'S RIGHT TO TESTIFY |
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| Although a defendant has a right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the defendant also has a constitutional right to testify at his or her trial for a criminal offense. The defendant's right to testify includes his or her right to present a defense. More... |
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| JURY INSTRUCTIONS ON DEFENSE THEORIES |
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| If requested by a defendant, a trial court is required to instruct a jury on any defense theories that are raised by the evidence. The defendant may raise those theories by his or her testimony alone. Also, the defendant is entitled to jury instructions on his or her affirmative defenses. The defendant's affirmative defenses do not need to be strong or to be uncontradicted in order for the defendant to be entitled to jury instructions on his or her affirmative defenses. The trial court is required to instruct the jury on the defendant's affirmative defenses, even if the trial court does not find that the affirmative defenses are credible or believable. More... |
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