Investigating a Criminal Case: Experts, Investigators, and Subpoenas

Interviewing prosecution witnesses can be a critical component of preparing a defense in a criminal case. But there are other forms of investigation that might also provide or reveal essential information. The defense might:

• Bring in a scientific expert to test evidence or review the work of others, including, for example, police laboratory technicians. It’s often beneficial for such an expert to testify, too.
• Hire a private investigator to locate and interview witnesses who are—or could be—helpful to the defense. The defense attorney might then be able to meet with those witnesses and prepare them for their eventual testimony. The defense can also serve them with subpoenas that require them to appear in court to testify.
• Take depositions of friendly or neutral witnesses—in the rare states that allow depositions in criminal cases. These depositions can serve several purposes, including preserving testimony should witnesses later become unavailable or change their stories.     Continue Reading...

How to Get Off a Criminal Charge

Being charged with a crime doesn't necessarily mean you'll have to plea bargain or face trial. Many criminal charges are dismissed, either by the prosecuting attorney or by a judge, long before trial is contemplated. If you know how to analyze your case and understand your Constitutional rights, you may be able to get off your criminal charge. Continue Reading...

How Defendants' Mental States Affect Their Responsibility for a Crime

What makes a crime a crime? In most cases, an act is a crime because the person committing it intended to do something that the state legislature or Congress has determined is wrong, also known as criminal intent. This mental state is generally referred to as "mens rea," Latin for "guilty mind."

The "mens rea" concept is based on a belief that people should be punished only when they have acted in a way that makes them morally blameworthy. In the legal system's eyes, people who intentionally engage in the behavior prohibited by a law are morally blameworthy.  Read more...  

What to Look for in a Private Criminal Defense Attorney

The attorney you're looking for will probably not be the same person who handled your will, or helped you buy a house, or whom you aunt used when she was involved in a car accident. These all were civil attorneys, whereas you want someone who specializes in criminal law. (In small town, however, you may have no choice but to hire someone who practices in both areanas. Continue Reading...

How to Get a Job with a Criminal Record

How to Get a Job with a Criminal Record. In today's world, the job search is stressful enough when you don't have a criminal record. If you've been in prison or even if you've just had a minor scrape with the law, you may find that employers will be reluctant to hire you. You can't control what an employer does, but you can control how you conduct yourself and how you conduct your job search.  Knowing your rights can help you find a job. Read more via

Facts on Criminal Attorneys & What They Do

Criminal attorneys serve an important role in the United States justice system by defending a person accused of a crime. While some accuse criminal attorneys of helping criminals get away with breaking the law, criminal defense attorneys actually protect the rights of all Americans to a fair trial and the right to be considered innocent until proved guilty of a crime.

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Change of Venue in a Criminal Case

The venue in a criminal case is the court that will hear the matter. In a typical case, jurisdiction would rest with a state, while venue would lie in a particular county—usually the county where the crime occurred.

Change Needed?

Someone accused of a crime generally has the right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. But a defendant doesn’t have the right to a trial in the county of his choice. Continue Reading...