Thursday, June 14th, 2012
A man who is standing trial for the alleged murder of a young Alaska woman tore free from his leg irons and unsuccessfully tried to escape from court, according to a report from MSNBC. The man, 34-year-old Israel Keyes, was somehow able to escape from his leg shackles and tried to leap over the bar [...]
Friday, October 14th, 2011
Forensic evidence is a dramatic part of the criminal conviction process, and thanks to dozens of television shows celebrating the science, has become perhaps the aspect of criminal arrests that Americans know most about. But forensics are far from infallible. Learn the basics of forensic evidence and what happens when a defendant is wrongfully convicted. [...]
Friday, July 15th, 2011
Some have called it the “Trial of the Century” while others hope the defendant just disappears after her release, never to be heard from again. The Casey Anthony trial and verdict have elicited strong reactions from millions of people both here and abroad. Despite the constant developments, never-ending twists and turns and the nonstop drama, [...]
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Apparently, if you want to threaten Superbowl viewers lives without punishment, all you need to do is address your letters to media organizations instead of actual individuals. At least that’s what worked for Kurt Havelock, whose conviction of mailing threatening messages was overturned by the ninth circuit this week. According to the LA Times, Havelock [...]
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Who killed Walter Barclay? According to a May 21 jury decision, it was not William Barnes. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in November 1966, then-police officer Barclay was responding to reports of a prowler when he found Barnes attempting to burglarize a Philadelphia beauty salon. Barnes shot Barclay, was convicted of attempted murder, served 16 [...]
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford, awaiting his trial for fraud charges, has filed a request to be transferred from the Joe Corley Detention Facility, citing its “oppressive” conditions. According to the motion filed by Stanford’s defense attorney, Stanford says the facility has no air conditioning, is often without power, and that he shares a windowless [...]
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
A convicted murderer in Ohio is being released from prison pending a new trial after his defense attorneys successfully argued that juror curiosity violated his right to a fair trial, according to WLWT news. Ryan Widmer of Lebanon, Ohio, was serving 15 years to life for the murder of his wife, Sarah. Prosecutors say he [...]
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
A teen in Washington state who killed a woman in a hunting accident was sentenced to 30 days in a juvenile intentional center, according to NBC affiliate KHQ. Tyler Kales, who was 14 at the time, was bear hunting with his brother on Sauk Mountain north of Seattle. According to his own testimony, in the [...]
Monday, July 6th, 2009
California’s Supreme Court upheld a provision that allows crimes committed while a minor to affect sentencing under the state’s controversial Three-Strikes law, according to the San Francisco Gate. Under the three-strikes law, any second felony conviction receives twice the normal sentence; any third felony conviction receives an automatic life sentence. The court’s decision means that [...]
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
Criminal defendants can now question the validity of lab results in court, thanks to a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling, the court said that allowing prosecutors to submit forensic evidence without questioning by the defense is a violation of Sixth Amendment right to face one’s accuser, according to The [...]
Blog is sponsored by Total Criminal Defense