Criminal Defense Legal Blog

Underage drinking has leveled off recently. But it still directly or indirectly contributes to about 4,300 deaths annually in the United States.[1] Children’s still-developing bodies and low weight make it hard to process alcohol. One or two drinks to a 16-year-old is...

The modern criminal justice system began taking shape in the mid-1800s. The country was growing rapidly, and criminal courts lacked funding. 1881 Californian Albert McKenzie may have entered the nation’s first voluntary guilty plea.1 Prosecutors alleged that he...

Many states use a number (first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree) classification system to divide felonies. But in New York, we like to do things a little differently. So, state law divides felonies into five categories: Classes A to E, A as the worst, and E as...

Although anti-drug laws existed for decades, Richard Nixon coined the phrase “war on drugs” during a 1971 speech. He called illegal drugs “public enemy number one” and vowed to launch interdiction programs to incarcerate offenders and hopefully eradicate the...

Once upon a time, most arsons were economic crimes. People generally started fires for the destruction of property reasons. Today, most arsons are political crimes. Many people start fires out of anger or to make a statement. Yet arson charges and laws are essentially...

The Sixth Amendment allows people to hire a lawyer to represent them in criminal cases. But this provision is somewhat vague. It states that defendants must have “the Assistance of Counsel.1 That phrase could mean attorneys must be available for informal...