| Recusal of Judges |
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| The defendant is entitled to a fair criminal trial. In order for the defendant to be afforded a fair trial, a judge must behave in a proper manner. If the judge engages in improper behavior the defendant may request that the judge recuse himself.
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| Battered Person Syndrome and Battered Child Syndrome |
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| Battered person syndrome is a derivative of battered woman syndrome. Battered person syndrome involves battery of a male spouse or someone that resides in the household. Battered person syndrome may be used as a justification defense in a homicide prosecution. Typically, the defendant would assert self-defense as a defense and then justify the premise of the self-defense based upon the battered person syndrome. The premise behind battered person syndrome is that this syndrome is gender neutral. More... |
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| Assault & Aggravated Assault |
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| A person commits the criminal offense of assault when he or she intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person, threatens the other person with bodily injury, or causes physical contact with the other person, which he or she knows is offensive to the other person. More... |
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| Plea Agreements Generally |
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| When a defendant has been charged with a crime, it is his decision whether to enter a guilty or not guilty plea to the offense. Often times, a defendant enters a guilty plea based upon a plea agreement. Many prosecutors offer defendants plea agreements or bargains in order to ascertain a guilty plea from the defendant. More... |
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| MARITIME JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT |
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| In accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution, the federal government has jurisdiction over all admiralty and maritime cases. This means that the federal government has jurisdiction over all criminal offenses that are committed on the high seas, on any other waters within the jurisdiction of the United States, or on any vessel that belongs to the United States, to a United States citizen, or to a corporation, which vessel is located within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States and not within the jurisdiction of a state.
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