| CAPITAL MURDER |
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| A person commits the offense of capital murder when he or she, under certain circumstances, intentionally or knowing causes the death of an individual or when he or she intends to cause serious bodily injury to an individual and commits an act that causes the death of the individual.
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| What to Do When You Have Been Arrested |
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| After an accused has been arrested for committing a crime, what happens next and what should he do next? Once an officer has taken the accused into custody, he is no longer free to walk away, and the arrest is complete. An arrest is only proper and legal if the officer has probable cause to believe that the accused committed an offense or was about to commit an offense. An arrest is also proper when it is being conducted pursuant to an arrest warrant. However, if the warrant is not valid, numerous other issues will be raised. More... |
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| COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE |
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| A commutation of sentence is the reduction of a defendant's sentence by a state's governor. It is a form of clemency. A commutation does not remove any legal disabilities of the defendant's conviction. It only has the effect of reducing the defendant's original sentence. A commutation has no effect on the defendant's guilt.More... |
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| Loan Sharking or Usury |
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| Loan sharking is defined as when a borrower is charged interest above an established legal rate. Depending on the state, lenders typically cannot charge more than 60% interest per year. Loan sharking is also commonly referred to as usury. More... |
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| APPELLATE BRIEFS |
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| A state's rules of appellate procedure determine the requirements for filing an appellate brief. An appellate brief is generally required to be filed within a certain number of days after the filing of a notice of appeal and the filing of a trial court's record. An appellant is required to serve a copy of his or her brief on an opposing party. Other copies may be required to be filed. Proof of service must be affixed to the brief. Service may generally be accomplished by mail, by personal service, or by fax. The opposing party must file its brief within a certain number of days after it is served with a copy of the appellant's brief.More... |
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