Rather than send someone to jail, judges sometimes hand down suspended sentences. This is normally done for first-time offenders accused of relatively minor crimes. There are different types of suspended sentences that can be used, and the type suggested by a judge will generally depend upon the totality of the circumstances.
Not all criminal offenses result in incarceration. In some instances, the courts believe that justice is best served whenever the defendant is ordered to pay a monetary fine. In other cases, fines may be assessed in addition to jail time, probation or community service.
Police officers sometimes work undercover or perform “sting” operations in order to catch criminals. There is a very fine line between performing an investigation and entrapment. Entrapment occurs whenever law enforcement agents induce an individual to commit a crime that he or she normally would not have committed. Undercover officers who merely provide an opportunity […]
The verdict or final decision in a criminal trial can sometimes come down to the testimony of one particular witness. In some cases, a witness may be unavailable to testify, and when this happens, it raises the question of whether or not a statement can be admitted instead. This is known as hearsay evidence. Admitting […]
Police officers sometimes stop individuals who they feel look suspicious. Sometimes these individuals look suspicious because they’re dressed a certain way or drive a particular kind of car. Other times, they are stopped because of their race. Although clearly in violation of the law, racial profiling does occur, and there is a very fine line […]
