Under Rhode Island criminal law, “Domestic Violence” is defined as any violent crime committed between family and household members. These crimes include but are not limited to, assault, sexual assault, vandalism, disorderly conduct, trespass, kidnapping, homicide, stalking, burglary, arson, etc. …
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Probation is a sanction and form of criminal sentence that is ordered by the Court after someone has been convicted of or found responsible for a crime. While on probation, a person must “keep the peace and be of good…
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Bank fraud is crime that the United States government does not take lightly. Not surprisingly, the policy behind the bank fraud statute is to protect federally insured banks. The government uses this statute as a catch-all for any activity that…
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Over the years, America has grown increasingly fascinated by crime and the criminal justice system. NPR’s Serial helped spawn a wave of true-crime podcasts. Netflix’s Making a Murderer, and HBO’s The Jinx, created a generation of armchair detectives. Since then,…
Continue Reading 7 Common Myths and Misconceptions About the Criminal Justice System
Every state has its own set of sentencing alternatives that may be offered to a defendant instead of receiving a traditional jail sentence. One alternative that may be offered in Rhode Island is a deferred sentence. This type sentencing can…
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The Fourth Amendment protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures. The purpose of this constitutional provision is to safeguard the privacy and security of individuals against government intrusions into areas where we have a reasonable expectation of privacy. This protection…
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Since approximately 1995, federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country have been using a powerful, secret cellphone surveillance tool, known as a Stingray, to both track the physical location of cellphones and capture the contents of its communications. …
Continue Reading Stingray – The Government’s Secret Surveillance Tool Affecting Our Fourth Amendment Rights
Mitigation evidence is critical to successfully representing a criminal defendant in any jurisdiction. These materials are substantive documents that document a defendant’s good character, reputation, and achievements. Such materials take many forms to include, but not limited to: character letters…
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As COVID-19 continues to spread across our nation, federal and state governments are enacting increasingly stringent orders to help combat the severity of this pandemic. In an effort to curb the virus, public officials in several states and cities have…
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The First Step Act of 2018 expands the ability to reduce federal sentences under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i) for compassionate release. A request for compassionate release must first be made by the inmate who is in the Bureau of Prisons…
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