Criminal Charges

Parole and probation are both part of the criminal justice process. They are both terms that apply to defendants after they have been found guilty of a criminal offense. Defendants who seek probation or parole, or who have been charged with a violation of parole, can both benefit by having an experienced criminal defense lawyer…

Many people believe that attending the right college is the most important decision for a child’s future. But parents can step over legal lines. The recent indictments of actresses Laurie Loughlin and Felicity Huffman prove this point. Huffman, who has starred in shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sports Night, has pled guilty to federal…

Tennessee lawmakers are exploring legislation that would change the state’s current child support felony rule. Currently, the state requires that felons must be current with their child support payments before their voting rights can be restored. Current law also requires that felons pay all court fines and court-ordered restitution before they can be given their…

While being found guilty is devastating, there may still be ways to overturn the decision or reduce the sentence. There are different remedies that can be asserted depending on the facts of the case, the legal arguments that were made, and other factors. Here are the general rules. After being found guilty, there is usually…

Recently, Donald Q. Cochran, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced a new plan with Nashville Mayor David Briley to fight gun crime. The plan or initiative, according to Cochran, “is a proactive, forensics-based, data-driven strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on the rapid collection, analysis, and investigation of gun-crime…

“RICO” is an abbreviation for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The original purpose of the law, enacted in 1970, was to prosecute the Mafia, a then highly organized Italian-American criminal society. Prosecutors however have broadly used RICO to prosecute organized crime at its roots, with the goal of shutting down entire criminal organizations,…

Jury selection is one of the most important parts of any criminal case. Criminal defense lawyers fight to include jurors who will not automatically assume the police officer is credible and that the State or government witnesses must be telling the truth. The Judge instructs the jury that any reasonable doubt means they must vote…

If you are charged with drug possession, the government has the burden of proving you were in possession of drugs beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendant does not have to prove he/she was not in possession of the illegal drugs. Anyone charged with possession of illegal narcotics has the right to hold the government to…