Whenever legislation is introduced, it is critical for lawmakers to consider the unintended consequences as well as the intended ones. Nearly every law has drawbacks, sometimes major ones, and well-intentioned legislators often fail to consider how their proposals...
In early 2021, New Jersey enacted a law legalizing possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana. In doing so, it joined a growing list of states choosing to decriminalize or legalize marijuana use, even as the drug remains illegal under federal law. Those...
If you are charged with driving while intoxicated in New Jersey, you may face a range of consequences. In addition to any legal sanctions that you might be subject to, a drunk driving conviction may also cause a significant interruption to your career. There are many...
We have previously written on this blog about the protocol for conducting law enforcement searches. Generally speaking, for a search to be considered legal, police must obtain a search warrant, issued by a judge, based on probable cause that a crime has been...
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees anyone accused of a crime the right to a trial by a fair and impartial jury. Many believe that to be fair and impartial, the makeup of the jury (gender, race, socioeconomic status, etc.) should reflect the...
When does someone become an adult, capable of making adult decisions and fully responsible for the consequences when they make poor choices? In the United States, the number that we’ve chosen is age 18. This is the age of legal adulthood in most respects. But should...
You’ve likely watched police procedural shows in which a body language expert is able to tell that someone is hiding something. You may have seen books about “how to spot a liar,” or even TED Talks about how to use your own body language to control the messages you...
The technology we all carry around in our pockets has made it easier than ever for businesses and the government to invade our privacy. One of the strongest examples of government privacy intrusion is what is known as a “geofence warrant.” Use of this investigative...
There are two criminal justice systems in the United States: one for adults and another for minors. The principle underlying the juvenile justice system is that children are still developing, which means they should be considered less culpable for the things they do...
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...