Heroin is Back

In spite of U. S. law enforcement’s fifty-year-old drug war, illegal drugs are still widely available. Makers, distributors, and dealers of illegal drugs continue to sell these drugs to addicts and users and seek to ensnare new customers.  Regardless of stiff criminal penalties and long prison sentences, a black market for illegal drugs flourishes.  Certain…

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Flakka

Drug abuse is a serious problem in the United States.  In spite of the nation’s nearly half-century war on drugs, illegal drugs are still sold and often relatively easy for users to obtain.   In spite of strict laws forbidding the sale, use, or possession of illegal street drugs, users and addicts still want, crave, and…

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Being Arrested: How to Avoid It and What Happens Afterwards

Congress and state legislatures regularly pass laws that often make certain acts a crime or increase the penalties for violations. These laws apply to citizens and immigrants. The police, the sheriff, state troopers, drug task force members, park rangers, FBI agents, DEA agents, ICE agents, and agents in numerous other agencies have the power to…

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Expungement or How to Get a Job When You Have a Criminal Record

In America, individuals without criminal records have advantages over individuals with criminal records, especially regarding applying for a job.  Employers often run background checks on job applicants to see if they have criminal records.  Many employers are less likely to hire an applicant with a criminal record over an applicant without a criminal record.  Though…

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How Dangerous is Texting Behind the Wheel?

Living in the U.S. as an immigrant can be like trying to balance on a tightrope. You go about living your life, and one false move can put your dreams of becoming a citizen in jeopardy. Texting behind the wheel is illegal in almost every state in the United States, yet it’s one of those…

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Helping to Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence

There have been a lot of stories in the news and online where famous athletes and celebrities have been caught abusing their family members. In Tennessee, abusing a member of your family and/or household is called domestic violence, and it’s a serious crime. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The goal is to make…

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Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System

Mental illness is a real disease and affects millions of people.  Mental health professionals — psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health workers — identify and diagnose particular types of mental illnesses, for instance, clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia. While symptoms vary widely, those afflicted with particular mental illnesses often cannot control…

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Domestic Violence is a Crime (Ask Ray Rice)

A generation or so ago, law enforcement officers (police or deputies) rarely intervened in a domestic dispute.  If a spouse, generally the wife, was hit, yelled at, or threatened, the police deemed it best to let the couple or parents and children work out their differences.  Then, they thought that private matters should stay private. …

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What are the DUI Consequences for Immigrants in Tennessee?

It is obvious that drunk driving carries serious consequences for anyone arrested for DUI in Tennessee, but for non-citizens the consequences can be even more severe. Getting convicted of a DUI can change your life forever, because there are a number of consequences. However, non-citizens can, depending on the circumstances and severity of the crime,…

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The Dangers of Social Media as Proof in Criminal Cases

Here at the Law Office of Perry Craft, PLLC, we’re celebrating a recent victory in court defending an innocent man against felony charges of stalking. One of the more interesting things about the case, however, is that the prosecution chose to use a social media account – Facebook, to be exact – as its “proof”…

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