| DEFENSE OF A THIRD PERSON |
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| A defendant is entitled to use force or deadly force against another person in order to protect a third person from the other person. The defendant must show that he or she reasonably believed that the use of force was necessary to protect the third person.
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| A DEFENDANT'S RIGHT TO A PUBLIC TRIAL |
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| A defendant is guaranteed the right to a public trial under the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The right to a public trial is also an element of the defendant's due process rights, which rights are guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. In addition, states have enacted provisions in their constitutions that guarantee a defendant's right to a public trial. The public also has a right to attend criminal trials under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. More... |
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| SEARCH & SEIZURE - INVESTIGATIVE STOPs |
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| If a police officer has a reasonable basis for believing that a person is involved in criminal activity or is about to be involved in criminal activity, the officer has a right to make an investigative stop of that person. Another name for an investigative stop is a "Terry Stop," which name is taken from the United States Supreme Court case of Terry v. Ohio. The officer may make the stop even though he or she does not have probable cause for an arrest. The purpose of the stop is to investigate criminal activity and not to make an arrest. More... |
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| Motion to Disclose the Identity of a Confidential Informant |
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| A defendant may file a motion requesting that the prosecution disclose the identity of their confidential informant. Typically information received from the confidential informant may be the basis of probable cause to support the issuance of an arrest warrant for the defendant. More... |
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| Bank Fraud and Financial Institutions |
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| Congress enacted a bank fraud statute as part of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. The purpose of the bank fraud statute was to fill the gaps that existed with respect to fraud against federally chartered or insured institutions. Thereafter, other federal acts were passed to expand the scope and coverage of the bank fraud statute. Some of the other acts included the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, the Crime Control Act of 1990, and the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act. More... |
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