To know if your civil rights have been violated, you need to know what they are. Civil rights refer to the rights citizens have to social and political freedom. Civil rights guarantee equality, no matter who you are, what you look like or where you come from. There...
At sobriety checkpoints, officers have the authority to stop drivers and test for intoxication. The police do not need reasonable cause or suspicion to do this. It seems to go against a citizen’s Fourth Amendment rights, but close examination of the Constitution has...
Have you ever felt sick to your stomach and immediately blamed it on something you ate? While most minor indigestion issues pass on their own, some situations may be more severe. In fact, foodborne illnesses can sometimes be fatal. Restaurants have a duty to serve...
If you're accused of a crime, one of the things you need to be careful of is malicious prosecution. With a case of malicious prosecution, charges are maliciously filed against you with the goal of harassing you, causing intimidation or defaming you. The goal is to...
When the police do something wrong, the public deserves to know and to hold the agencies responsible for those actions. Unfortunately, the reality is that police misconduct is often hidden, and records of incidents are hidden away. Take, for example, this case that...
Multiple news stories concerning unjust police interactions with racial minorities have revealed the problems with prejudice and police training. Of students arrested in New York City schools in the 2016-17 academic year, 92% were Hispanic or Black, even though they...
If you are facing a trial, one of the things you may have been told is that you need to dress a certain way when you present yourself to the judge. While some people may scoff and believe that there should be no bias against anyone for how they look, the reality is...
There are times when a conviction may not be fair or justified. Whether it's due to a biased jury or a miscarriage of justice based on a lack of evidence, it's very important that those who are facing a wrongful conviction or unjust conviction get the help they need...
Like most New Yorkers, you have a healthy respect for law enforcement officers. Nonetheless, if you do not believe you have committed a crime, having an officer handcuff you may seem unacceptable. Still, resisting arrest may complicate your criminal case. It could...
Perjury is the act of giving a knowingly inaccurate testimony while under oath. In today’s climate of false accusations and evidence, it has become an even more pervasive problem. Last year, a judge sentenced a New York police detective to 60 days in jail, following...