Month: August 2022
Understanding your right to ‘plead the Fifth’ in a criminal case
If you follow the news, you see it all the time: Someone being interrogated and refusing to answer by invoking their Fifth Amendment rights. Why can they refuse to answer? And what are they citing in doing so? This is an important topic for anyone facing criminal charges or otherwise...
Man convicted based on junk science exonerated after 30 years
Previous posts on this blog have focused on the problem of “junk science.” Shows like CSI and other police procedurals have given the public the impression that forensic science is highly advanced and almost never wrong. Sadly, that’s far from true, but the misconceptions created by these shows are biasing...
New Jersey judges skeptical of conclusions of shaken baby syndrome
Alleged crimes committed against infants and children tend to evoke strong visceral reactions from juries and the public alike – especially when the defendant is a family member or caretaker. This makes sense, because children are innocent and largely defenseless, and because adults are responsible for their care and protection....
Would you falsely confess to a crime? You might be surprised.
In the realm of criminal justice, its seems that no evidence is stronger than a confession of guilt. Suspects confess, and jurors believe them, because no one would admit to a heinous crime that they didn’t commit. Or would they? Sadly, false confessions are a serious problem in the United...
Cocaine charges in New Jersey
New Jersey laws regarding cocaine can be severe, depending on the circumstance. Someone intending to traffic large amounts of cocaine in the Garden State may face a lengthy prison sentence if arrested and convicted. A suspect caught with a small amount for personal use may face less serious charges and...