Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer waived his right to a preliminary hearing in his sex abuse case. As I was leaving for court today , Ann Curry asked Joe Amendola if he was competent to handle these sex abuse allegations. Ms. Curry asked a hard question that most criminal defense attorneys are asking. What is Mr.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Cooper and Frye. The links will take you to a transcript of the oral argument. The pivotal issue is the performance of the lawyers during the plea bargaining process.. In the Frye case , Mr. Frye’s lawyer did not advise him of a plea bargain
A Nashville , Tn. couple was arrested this week on charges of manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana within a 1000 feet of a school zone. Metro Nashville Police discovered a large marijuana growing operation this week. A police officer noticed the smell during a DUI traffic stop. The smell was traced to a house in
A Gallatin , Tennessee band teacher was charged with statutory rape by an authority figure . From news reports , a female teacher had sexual relations over 20 times with a student . The case is set for hearing in the General Sessions Court of Sumner County , Tennessee in December. There are two points about
The State Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled that a man convicted of punching his stepson should have been allowed to raise parental discipline as a defense in his trial. The trial court rejected that defense because the boy’s nose was broke by the defendant who wanted him to clean a carpet stain. The case is
Mastering the Tennessee Rules of Evidence is one of the most crucial requirements of becoming a successful criminal trial attorney. Hearsay is one of the most difficult rules to grasp. The definition of hearsay is it is a statement , other than one made by the declarant while testifying at the trial or hearing offered
The Cheatham County Commission recently approved Sheriff Holder’s request to hire a new police officer to patrol Interstate 40 in search for drug traffickers. The officer will work in conjunction with the Drug Interdiction Crime Enforcement (DICE) unit . The drug interdiction unit is made up of officers from the Dickson County Sheriff”s Office and Humphrey’s
As I was walking to the criminal courthouse in Gallatin , Tennessee for a motion hearing , I noticed a new sign for a lawyer on the corner . The sign advertised General Sessions Lawyer . What is a General Sessions lawyer ? Under Tennessee rules of specialization , Tennessee does not recognize such
Sometimes people miss their court date in Tennessee . One question that comes up is what can I do about it and am I in trouble . Missing your court date can trigger an additional charge of Failure to Appear . I recently wrote an article on the issue . You can click here
In most murder cases a firearm is used . After someone is shot , blood is usually present at the crime scene . Can homicide detectives use blood found at the scene to make their case ? The blood left behind may provide some clues as to what happened . One method of bloodstain analysis is blood