Articles Posted in Constitutional Rights of the Accused

Is your child on the spectrum and been accused of a crime? Children with autism benefit from a variety of different laws created to protect them. Your child’s diagnosis also plays a role in his or her defense. How does the law protect people with autism? Here’s what you need to know. What is Autism?…

Contradictory Verdict The Colorado Supreme Court recently upheld what appeared to be a contradictory verdict. The court split 6-1 in favor of the defendant Michael W. Struckmeyer’s convictions. Struckmeyer was found guilty of two counts of child abuse after a child under his care suffered a traumatic brain injury. According to at least one medical…

Fifth Amendment Constitutional Rights Most people have heard the term “pleading the fifth.” It is used in television and movies on a regular basis, so most people have some idea what it means. But in reality, what it means to use the Fifth Amendment for protection can be complex and something you need to discuss…

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling on a defendant’s right to remain silent that directly impacts how prosecutors may use that silence as evidence in trial. In Salinas v. Texas, the court ruled that if an individual is voluntarily speaking to the police in a pre-arrest situation, and refuses to answer a specific question,…