Oct 03, 2019 · Conclusion. Breaking down the credibility of a police officer before a lone judge at a motion hearing is one of the most difficult tasks defense lawyers face. It is also one of the most fun. There is no other arena — not even a trial — where defense lawyers feel the full weight of the government bearing down on them.
case law - The use of court decisions to determine how other law (such as statutes) should apply in a given situation. For example, a trial court may use a prior decision from the Supreme Court that has similar issues. chambers - A judge's office. charge - The law that the police believe the defendant has broken.
Nov 20, 2019 · The Stress. Deadlines, billing pressures, client demands, long hours, changing laws, and other demands all combine to make the practice of law one of the most stressful jobs out there. Throw in rising business pressures, evolving legal technologies, and climbing law school debt and it’s no wonder lawyers are stressed.
Sep 27, 2021 · Then defense counsel may choose to dismiss those jurors by using what is called a “peremptory challenge.”. Unlike “for cause” challenges, each side gets a fixed number of peremptory challenges. By using a peremptory challenge, a lawyer can dismiss a potential juror from the case without giving any reason to the judge.
capital offense - A crime punishable by death. In the federal system, it applies to crimes such as first degree murder, genocide, and treason. case law - The use of court decisions to determine how other law (such as statutes) should apply in a given situation.
To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal.". Both the plaintiff and the defendant can appeal, and the party doing so is called the appellant. Appeals can be made for a variety of reasons including improper procedure and asking the court to change its interpretation of the law.
Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons. plaintiff - The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit. plea - In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges in open court.
bail - Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
appellate - About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgment of another lower court or tribunal. arraignment - A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
charge to the jury - The judge's instructions to the jury concerning the law that applies to the facts of the case on trial. chief judge - The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court. The chief judge also decides cases, and the choice of chief judges is determined by seniority.
opinion - A judge's written explanation of a decision of the court. In an appeal, multiple opinions may be written. The court’s ruling comes from a majority of judges and forms the majority opinion. A dissenting opinion disagrees with the majority because of the reasoning and/or the principles of law on which the decision is based. A concurring opinion agrees with the end result of the court but offers further comment possibly because they disagree with how the court reached its conclusion.
A prosecutor who has attended a police academy is familiar with report writing “lingo” and the elements of offenses. Also, this person could help spot another officer who is possibly fudging police reports by writing frequently similar reports.
Police officers interact with the district attorney’s office by investigating criminal offenses and collecting the evidence needed to prosecute a case. This takes the form of a police report which contains all of the relevant facts on the case.
This is because the person is already familiar with the report writing lingo and will know what the officer is reporting.
It is important because officer presentation in the courtroom helps strengthen their credibility and professionalism. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a day-long lecture here in Corpus Christi called Effective Courtroom Testimony that was put on by the TDCAA. This lecture brought prosecutors and police officers together in the same room to learn about common issues. This particular issue is currently being dealt with by explaining to officers that they need to visit the courtroom first and try out the witness stand and sit in the chair in full uniform if they are not familiar with it. Additionally, officers can always call the prosecutor and ask to stop by for a short visit to get comfortable with where the officer will wait and a short run of questions to get a feel for how things will proceed.
They are the first responders to the scene of an accident or at the occurrence of a crime. They collect all the facts, data, and information that helps us prosecutors do our jobs in the courtroom. Naturally, when police officers wish to change career directions but want to remain in the legal field, this decision creates a valuable opportunity for a district attorney’s office.
A prosecutor who understands this will know why an officer took immediate forceful action against a suspect who began to deceptively clench his fists and delivered the 100-yard stare when the media and the defense counsel are trying to make a case for the officer’s use of excessive force. This individual would be able to explain that the suspect was about to initiate the fight of his life against an arresting officer and the officer recognized this before everyone else because of his skill and training and does not need to wait for that to occur in order to protect himself and others. This type of situation is a typical officer safety issue that is often discussed.
If a prosecutor carries an active peace officer’s license, that person could serve subpoenas on behalf of the district attorney’s office as part of his or her job duties. This is a great benefit to the office as it relieves some of the work that Investigators must do. However, there is a recently released Texas Attorney General’s Opinion that discusses this issue and is worth taking the time to read. [i]
The stress and demands of practicing law have fueled high levels of career dissatisfaction among members of the bar. Depression and suicide are common among lawyers and 44 percent of those recently surveyed by the American Bar Association said they would not recommend the profession to a young person.
Before you start down the long educational road toward becoming a lawyer, ask yourself if you have a tolerance for these disadvantages and how well you'll be able to deal with them.
Deadlines, billing pressures, client demands, long hours, changing laws, and other demands all combine to make the practice of law one of the most stressful jobs out there. Throw in rising business pressures, evolving legal technologies, and climbing law school debt and it’s no wonder lawyers are stressed.
Technology has transformed the practice of law and, like it or not, lawyers must become proficient in a wide range of technology platforms. These range from document review and management tools to spreadsheet, presentation, and billing software.
Today’s lawyer s work longer and harder and 50-plus hour work weeks are not at all uncommon. A competitive environment has forced lawyers to spend more time on client development and business management activities in addition to billing hours. Many lawyers complain of a lack of work-life balance as a result.
The market will no longer pay top dollar for expensive lawyers to perform tasks that can be accomplished more cheaply, quickly, and efficiently by technology or by other professionals such as ​ paralegals .
It’s not a trend — the outsourcing of legal work to foreign countries is an economic reality. As more legal work is sent to low-wage workforces overseas or to regional delivery centers onshore, many traditional lawyer jobs are being eroded or displaced altogether.
Experienced attorneys ask questions to get a sense of how a juror will respond to the evidence and arguments in the case about to be tried. In most federal courts, lawyers submit questions to the judge, who will then question the potential jurors in open court. In state courts, however, lawyers are typically permitted to question ...
The defense lawyer might attempt to determine how potential jurors will react to that trial strategy by asking questions about the right to “stand your ground,” to defend your property, to possess firearms, and to protect others from harm.
To expedite the selection process, potential jurors sometimes complete written questionnaires before meeting with the lawyers or the judge. These questionnaires help to quickly eliminate certain potential jurors—such as people who do not speak English well enough to follow testimony. They also identify subject areas, like prior experiences with law enforcement or the courts, for follow-up questions in the courtroom. If questionnaires are not used, lawyers or judges simply ask all of their questions in open court. Potential jurors may be questioned as a group or one at a time. Once preliminary issues, such as juror availability and competency have been covered, lawyers and judges move on to more substantive questions.
If questionnaires are not used, lawyers or judges simply ask all of their questions in open court. Potential jurors may be questioned as a group or one at a time.
Then defense counsel may choose to dismiss those jurors by using what is called a “peremptory challenge.” Unlike “for cause” challenges, each side gets a fixed number of peremptory challenges. By using a peremptory challenge, a lawyer can dismiss a potential juror from the case without giving any reason to the judge.
The Process of Jury Selection (Voir Dire) The questioning of potential jurors follows different rules depending on the jurisdiction (that is, if the case is in federal or state court). Even within a jurisdiction, trial judges often have their own methods for picking a jury. But no matter where the case is tried, ...
If the jurors, however, satisfy the judge that they can be fair and impartial despite their personal views on firearms, the judge will deny the attorney’s request.
The questioning process comes with its own legal name—voir dire (vwar deer ). The questions are designed to elicit bias and predisposition.
Personal experiences that might affect the person’s ability to judge the case. While a venireperson’s experience with the subject matter of the case might make that person an informed juror, it might also make him a biased one. For instance, someone who has himself been the victim of a similar crime might be prone to project his trauma onto ...
The crowd of people who show up at the courthouse with jury summons in hand are known as “venirepersons, ” which means that they are potential jurors (the group is called “the venire"). In large courthouses, in particular, it’s common for venirepersons to be given a form to complete, which asks a number of questions regarding the individuals’ personal circumstances. At this point (if not before, upon receiving the summons), a potential juror can request a deferral or ask to be excused due to the need, for example, to tend a sick family member or to take care of small children. The judge, sometimes in consultation with the lawyers on the case, will review these questionnaires and excuse venirepersons as appropriate (often with a promise that they’ll be called again soon).
Yet all courts provide for the questioning of potential jurors to expose reasons why the individual might not make an ideal juror—one who can be impartial and fair. To that end, lawyers and the judge question each would-be juror, looking for evidence of impermissible bias. When such bias is uncovered, the individual will be excused “for cause,” which means that the lawyer making the challenge can articulate to the judge an acceptable reason for rejecting that person.
These are known as peremptory challenges, which are ways to get rid of jurors who present no obvious evidence of bias or unsuitability.
Convinced that the juror would not be fair , the defense attorney uses one of his peremptories to excuse her. Another theory for the use of peremptories is that by letting each side dispense with the most unacceptable members of the jury, it results in a more middle-of-the road jury, one not subject to extreme views.
Although lawyers don’t have to give a reason for using a peremptory, they may not use them in order to rid the jury of people of a certain race, religion, gender, or other protected status. If a pattern begins to emerge—the prosecutor excuses every Black juror but no White members—the judge will intervene.
For instance, a police officer who believes a suspect to be guilty of a crime might place undue or inappropriate pressure on the suspect to confess to a crime they did not commit. Likewise, a police officer who shows ...
Why You Need an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney. Police misconduct can lead to a wrongful conviction, but proving it can be difficult. That makes effective criminal defense representation critical. An experienced attorney will know what to look for to uncover any mishandling or tampering with evidence.
Detectives who lie when testifying, police officers who manufacture, destroy, or hide evidence, and law enforcement officials who improperly influence witness identifications and suspect confessions can result in wrongful convictions.
Any action by an officer to conceal, destroy, falsify, or alter any evidence can be considered tampering with evidence. For an officer to commit the crime of tampering with evidence, they need to have the intent to tamper with the evidence and tamper with an item, knowing that the item was evidence.
Some of the reasons could be to cover up a mistake or omission that they made during the initial investigation or to try to build a stronger case against a suspect that officers are convinced is guilty of a crime.
Some officers’ dishonesty stems from an attempt to cover up shoddy police work, a lack of willingness to do their jobs thoroughly and appropriately, or a simple desire to convict suspects who they believe are guilty. These police officers sometimes give testimony that is exaggerated, not entirely accurate, or just plain false.
Law enforcement has the duty to preserve relevant evidence. That duty is enshrined in your constitutional protections including due process and the right to a fair trial. If a defendant can show that the police failed to preserve relevant evidence, they can ask the court to suppress the evidence or dismiss the case as a whole.
If you are arrested, remain silent except for asking for an attorney. A criminal defense attorney can help you determine if the cops did anything illegal. Your attorney also assists you in formulating a defense strategy that may result in a dismissal of charges and compensation for damages if the police officer is guilty of misconduct or wrongdoing.
If a police officer is guilty of domestic violence, hit and run, or any other crime, a judge can sentence the officer to the same punishments as you face.
If a police officer arrests a person without cause, any evidence obtained pursuant to the wrongful arrest is inadmissible in court. The exclusionary rule prohibits prosecutors from using evidence obtained during an unlawful or false arrest against a defendant in court. Without that evidence, there may not be a valid case against the person.
Because the officer did not have probable cause to believe a crime had been committed, the officer violated the person’s Fourth Amendment rights. However, false arrests can also violate a person’s Fourteenth ...
If you believe your Constitutional rights were violated or a police officer is guilty of misconduct, contact a criminal defense attorney. Arguing with a police officer or resisting arrest can give an officer probable cause for the arrest. Police are permitted to pat you down to ensure that you are not carrying a dangerous weapon.
Arresting a person is a powerful tool for law enforcement. Arrests are made when a person is suspected of committing a crime. However, some officers misuse arrests for various reasons.
Police misconduct includes a wide variety of actions that law enforcement officers may use during an investigation, encounters with citizens, or arrest. Surveillance abuse, planting evidence, racial profiling, excessive force, corruption, false imprisonment, and assault are just a few more examples of illegal acts committed by police officers.
Example: Sam is charged with shoplifting. Sam admits to his lawyer that he took a watch, as charged.
In addition, Sam's lawyer learns that the store's security guard was at the end of a long overtime shift and had been drinking alcohol. Sam's lawyer can use these facts in an argument for Sam's acquittal. Before trial, Sam's lawyer can argue to the D.A. that the D.A.'s case is too weak to prosecute.
A vigorous defense is necessary to protect the innocent and to ensure that judges and citizens—and not the police—have the ultimate power to decide who is guilty of a crime. In truth, the defense lawyer almost never really knows whether the defendant is guilty of a charged crime.
First, understand that what's at stake in your case is whether the prosecution can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that you committed the crime with which you're charged. That's a different question than asking whether you did the act that's involved. For example, if you're charged with robbery and you did, in fact, wrestle a purse from a woman on the street, you're entitled to an acquittal if the victim cannot identify you.
However, the defense lawyer may not lie to the judge or jury by specifically stating that the defendant did not do something the lawyer knows the defendant did do.
But Sam's lawyer cannot ethically state in his argument that Sam "didn't do it," only that the D.A. didn't prove that Sam did do it. While the line between ethical and unethical behavior may seem like—indeed, is—a fine one, it is a line that criminal defense lawyers walk every day on the job.
Before trial, Sam's lawyer can argue to the D.A. that the D.A.'s case is too weak to prosecute. At trial, Sam's lawyer can argue to a judge or jury to acquit Sam. No matter what Sam has done, Sam is not legally guilty unless the prosecutor can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. But Sam's lawyer cannot ethically state in his argument ...
In a criminal case, the government is bringing a suit against someone accused of breaking the law. The government’s attorney is called a prosecutor . In federal district court, this is the U.S. Attorney or an Assistant U.S. Attorney. There is a United States Attorney for each of the federal districts. He or she is assisted by several Assistant ...
In a civil case, the party being sued is called the defendant . They usually have an attorney to represent them, though some defendants represent themselves.
Court Reporter. Also known as a stenographer, this person’s job is to make an accurate record of everything that is said in the courtroom during the course of trials. Court reporting is a specialized skill that takes years of preparation and practice to master.
Are you interested in reading court documents? Click here to visit the U.S. Courts PACER site. PACER means Public Access to Court Electronic Records.
In federal criminal trials, there are always 12 jurors. In federal civil trials, the number of jurors varies, but there will always be at least 6 and no more than 12. Visit the Student Center page The Judge and The Jury to learn more.
Federal Public Defenders and Assistant Federal Public Defenders are experienced lawyers who assist accused persons with their defense against federal charges. The Federal Public Defenders Office is within the judicial branch of government because it provides a service to the courts. But they represent the defendants, not the judges.
The judge rules on issues of law that come up in trial. The judge decides on the verdict if it’s a bench trial. District judges determine the appropriate punishment and sentence those convicted of crimes. Visit the Student Center page About Federal Judges to learn more.