Criminal Defense

In late September of 1996, an altercation occurred at a New York subway station. When officers arrived at the scene, an individual began shooting at them. One week later, a man named Norberto Peets was arrested in connection to an unrelated robbery. An officer...

Plea bargains have become a controversial topic in recent decades. Some believe that the risks of a plea deal often outweigh the immediate (and highly attractive) rewards, such as reduced or no jail time. It is true that many plea bargains do not preserve the...

When the prosecution offers you a plea deal, you may be tempted to accept it without a second thought. It could be because you will receive a more lenient sentence than the potential penalties of your original charges. However, accepting a plea deal is not always...

A conviction for a criminal offense can be devastating, especially if you are innocent. Fortunately, you have options. You can successfully appeal and overturn a criminal conviction.  To file an effective appeal, however, you need to start off by understanding the...

The income tax system in the United States of America requires that employed individuals, businesses and anyone receiving income file annual tax returns This annual tax return filing process allows someone to evaluate what they have already paid toward their taxes and...

Evidence forms a crucial part of any criminal trial. It helps in establishing the facts of the case, which goes a long way in determining the final verdict. However, not all evidence can be used against you in court, no matter the nature of your charges. A judge can...

In cases of wrongful convictions, it sometimes turns out the individual confessed to the crime, despite the fact that they didn’t commit that crime. They may have been convicted based on the confession and then cleared through DNA evidence, for example. But this can...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) helps ensure that each individual and business pays their fair share in federal income taxes. One of the ways that the IRS tracks tax compliance and enforces income tax law is through annual tax filings and random tax audits. Every...

Many criminal offenses are easy to define. For instance, if an individual attacks an innocent person, causing them harm, then this is a clear assault. Additionally, walking into a store and purposely taking an item without paying for it is a blatant example of theft. ...

This month, Richmond County law enforcement officers had to deal with multiple threats made to schools in the area. They all turned out to be hoaxes. However, at a time when school shootings are a very real danger, false threats like these can cause fear and...