The problem isn’t new. Experts have recognized for more than a decade that much of the forensic science we rely on in criminal cases is flawed or unreliable. In 2009, the National Research Council issued a report to the Justice Department, finding that a great deal of...
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Criminal Defense
The adolescent brain: ‘A recipe for trouble’?
Part of the role of the criminal justice system is rehabilitation. It’s not all about punishment and revenge. The juvenile system is even more centered around rehabilitation than the adult criminal justice system, as our society has long recognized that juveniles are...
Facial recognition technology is here – and it isn’t always accurate
Law enforcement is increasingly using facial recognition technology to identify suspects who are caught on camera. It’s as if there were a perpetual lineup that includes every American. If you have a photo on file with the government – and you almost certainly do –...
How long until in-person court recovers in the face of the pandemic?
Defendants are starting to see trials now that the courts are resuming some in-person operations of the past. But do safety rules change what your day in court means? The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended many in-person court proceedings through the beginning of this...
Student accused of a campus crime or Title IX violation?
It’s the worst sort of phone call. Your child, a college student, has been charged with a crime on campus. Now, there will be a disciplinary hearing and the possibility they will be kicked out of school. Even worse, criminal charges could follow. If you or your child...
The jury trial is being lost during the pandemic
In America today, the traditional trial by jury, with its many due process protections, was already endangered. Across the U.S., nearly 95% of all felony convictions are obtained by plea bargain instead of trial. Now, the Coronavirus pandemic has further curtailed the...
Do the police need a warrant before searching my cellphone?
Generally, yes. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that police may not ordinarily go through the contents of your phone without first getting a warrant. That said, they could still do so if they could show it was an emergency or that you would otherwise...
OxyContin maker Purdue pleads guilty to 3 criminal charges
The painkiller OxyContin has played an outsized role in the opioid crisis, which has killed at least 470,000 people since 2000. Originally intended as a drug for severe pain, OxyContin was prescribed widely for moderate pain, exposing millions to the risk of addiction...
Domestic violence is common among both women and men
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) defines domestic violence as "the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systemic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate...
Domestic violence reports may be rising
Considering current events, some people have wondered whether domestic violence reports are on the rise. After all, families are spending a great deal more time together than they are accustomed to doing. At the same time, anti-domestic violence activists worry that...