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What you should know when charged with hacking company computers

John R. Teakell
Criminal Defense Attorney

Talk to someone and get help if you are a victim of sexual abuse

Lisa C. Smith
Professor

Advice for women on avoiding sexual assault and staying safe

Dr. Shana Maier
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the Master’s in Criminal Justice Program

How to decide if you should bail someone out of jail when arrested

Eric Granof
Vice President of Corporate Communications, AIA Managing Director, ExpertBail Network

Police dashcam footage can protect you when you get pulled over

John R. Teakell
Criminal Defense Attorney

What to do when you are a victim of sexual assault on campus

Lisa C. Smith
Professor

What to do when you paid the bond and your loved one skips bail

Eric Granof
Vice President of Corporate Communications, AIA Managing Director, ExpertBail Network

What you should do if you or your loved one needs a bail bondsman

Eric Granof
Vice President of Corporate Communications, AIA Managing Director, ExpertBail Network

Advice for choosing trial by judge or jury

John S. Roirdan
Partner

Prove you're trustworthy to the judge to get bail and out of jail

Judah Fuld, Esq
Attorney

Criminal Law

Being arrested for a crime is a frightening ordeal, especially if it’s your first brush with the criminal law system. It will feel like it’s you against the system. And it is. And it’s something to be taken very seriously because the consequences can have a great effect on your future. Let ExpertBeacon’s criminal law experts—experienced criminal attorneys—shepherd you through our complex legal system from probable cause to probation. You’ll learn how to choose a qualified criminal defense attorney. You’ll find expert advice on whatever criminal plight you find yourself in: property crimes, assault, drug charges, domestic violence, white collar crimes, misdemeanors, and juvenile crimes. And finally, you’ll learn about that all-important bail bond process to get you out of jail.

What you should know when charged with hacking company computers

The federal government is very strict on the prosecution of white-collar criminal cases – including computer hacking. In 2012 alone, the Department of Justice dismantled more than 400 businesses and individuals courts found guilty of hacking and other such acts. To say that executives have found themselves increasingly in the bull’s-eye of investigators for alleged hacking is an understatement. If caught, executives face time in prison and substantial fines.

Advice for women on avoiding sexual assault and staying safe

Women have all heard the common wisdom on how to stay safe and avoid sexual assault: be alert, walk in groups, don’t talk to strangers. But the fact is, nearly three-quarters of female sexual assault victims know their attackers, according to the 2010 National Crime Victimization Survey. With such overwhelming odds that someone you know could be a danger, it’s vital to know how to protect yourself and take control of your own safety. Following this advice can help reduce a person’s likelihood of becoming a victim of sexual assault and rape.

Police dashcam footage can protect you when you get pulled over

The federal government has reported that nearly 22 million traffic stops occur each year. It’s important for drivers to know the rules, responsibilities, and rights in play when these encounters occur. Many of the dynamics of a traffic stop have changed since the 1990s with the advent of police dashcams, which can capture both video and audio of these stops. Where before evidence obtained during traffic stops was subject to conjecture regarding what occurred, dashcams offer an objective means of gathering information about what happened during the stop that can be admissible in court.

What to do when you paid the bond and your loved one skips bail

A bail bond is an insurance policy that allows a person who has been arrested and charged with a crime to be released pretrial. It guarantees that they will show up for all court appearances, so if they miss even one court date, the policy goes into default (also known as forfeiture status).

It is at this point that a bail bond agent -- along with the individuals who have co-signed and vouched for the defendant -- plays his most critical role. Once a bond goes into forfeiture, the clock starts ticking.

Advice for choosing trial by judge or jury

In a criminal case, the Defendant ultimately has to choose between taking his or her case to trial or taking a plea deal. By taking a plea, you are waiving your right to go to a trial. If you decide to go to trial, however, the next decision is whether or not your trial will be by a judge (also called a bench trial) or a jury trial.

Advice when testifying as a witness in a criminal trial

Acting as a witness for the first time can be a daunting task. It can be exceptionally challenging when you are testifying for the first time in a criminal case. Unlike other types of legal cases, criminal cases usually subject the person who is on trial to incarceration if he or she loses the trial.

Understand plea bargaining before you waive your right to trial

A plea bargain, or a plea agreement, is essentially a contract between the Defendant in a criminal case and the prosecuting attorney representing the State or Federal Government. This agreement is an alternative to a trial as afforded by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Approximately 90% of all criminal cases end via a plea bargain. If every defendant in a criminal prosecution insisted on his/her right to trial, the number of criminal cases would overwhelm and choke the court system.

Help for victims of domestic violence involves professionals, family, and friends

Anyone can be the victim of domestic abuse. The abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological. The victims are most often women but they are sometimes men and they come from every economic strata, every ethnicity, every age, every religion, every walk of life.

If you know someone or you, yourself are a victim of domestic violence, there is help available.

Protect yourself, take action, and stop being a victim of stalking

A coworker, a friend, a sister or a cousin is being stalked by someone and does not know where to turn. You are being stalked and do not know what to do. The sense of helplessness can be overwhelming. There are some things you should do and some things to avoid which will help you to protect yourself and others.

Crucial advice to ensure a better outcome from a misdemeanor arrest

A person gets arrested for a misdemeanor and might begin to panic. “Will I be locked up?” “What do I say to the police?” “Will I see a judge?” These questions, and many more can be answered with a brief description of what to expect, and what actions to take after being arrested for a misdemeanor crime. Knowing what to do, and what not to do, can help an arrestee navigate those first hours after arrest, protect their rights, and help ensure a positive beginning to the ensuing criminal prosecution.

So you need bail?

After you have been arrested, you will appear before a judge who will set bail. Bail is an amount of money that you must surrender to the court in order to be released from jail, with the promise you will return to for all subsequent court appearances. If you do not show up, you may forfeit your bail, be re-arrested, charged with bail jumping, and taken into custody.

How to choose a criminal lawyer

If found guilty of a criminal offense, you are potentially facing jail time, significant fines and even forfeit of property, including vehicles and other valuable possessions. So choosing an experienced criminal defense lawyer who has court experience, litigation success and expert knowledge of the law is essential to ensuring you receive the best defense and personal outcome.

Lawful arrests require probable cause

Lawful arrests require police to have probable cause. The U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment authorizes arrests by police, only if they have probable cause that a crime has been committed and that you are the person who committed that crime.

Talk to someone and get help if you are a victim of sexual abuse

Although it is common for victims of sexual assault to be reluctant to report, victims of child sexual abuse are by far the least likely to do so. Confusion, fear, depression and shame combine to create a feeling of lack of control resulting in an inability to act. However, knowledge is power and will take you from inertia to action.

How to decide if you should bail someone out of jail when arrested

When someone has been arrested a judge will make a determination whether that person can be released from jail during his trial, based on the severity of the crime. This is referred to as “pretrial release.” Assuming the defendant is eligible to be released, the judge will designate the types of release that are acceptable.
Typically there are three types of release:

What to do when you are a victim of sexual assault on campus

Sexual assault on college campuses has become an increasing problem. The numbers of students reporting victimization is shocking. Prevention of and appropriate response to these incidents is of paramount importance to the student body, the institution, prospective students and parents, and the federal government.

What you should do if you or your loved one needs a bail bondsman

Most people never worry about understanding the bail bond process because they’re typically not concerned about being arrested. However, should an unfortunate circumstance arise for you or a loved one, would you know what to do or to whom you should turn?

Prove you're trustworthy to the judge to get bail and out of jail

After an accused has been arrested, a Judge or Magistrate makes a bail determination and thereby decides whether to release the arrested on their own recognizance, release the arrested with a bail condition, or remand the arrested without a bail option. Bail is a sum of money or bond which is held by the court throughout the pendency of the criminal prosecution. Should the accused runaway from court, the bail will be forfeited and the money kept by the state or municipality.

Stop sexual harassment in the workplace or in your personal life

Years ago little attention was paid to to the issue of sexual harassment. Today, if you are being sexually harassed, you have many options for punishing the perpetrator, stopping the harassment, and obtaining damages. Keep this advice in mind if you find yourself having to deal with sexual harassment either in the workplace or in your personal life.

Advice on your legal defense when arrested for drug possession

Any drug-related arrest can be serious, especially if an accusation is made of driving under the influence of drugs. Possession of perfectly legal prescription drugs like painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, and sleep aids can be illegal if they are not prescribed by a doctor for you specifically. Taking such medications, even properly prescribed, can be problematic if a police officer thinks that your driving has been impaired by them, and can result in you being charged with a crime.

What to do if you're a victim of police misconduct

Many are familiar with the tactic known as “good cop, bad cop.” This article discusses the steps a person can take when they have a “bad cop” encounter and become the victim of police misconduct. Police misconduct has many forms, including false arrest, false imprisonment, coerced confessions and police brutality.

A victim of any police misconduct should know a few points of information to help protect their rights and aid them in their pursuit of a civil action.

You need a competent criminal defense attorney to defend your case

Because there is so much riding on the outcome of you case—loss of liberty and a lifelong criminal record—it is critical that you choose a competent criminal defense attorney to represent you. The following steps will serve as a guide in this process.

Obtain a positive outcome in your traffic court appearance

For most people, traffic court is their first encounter with the inside of a courtroom. Although this can be intimidating, being armed with some commonsense legal advice about how to handle a traffic ticket or summons can
help a driver achieve a positive resolution.

Pulled over by the police? Don't panic.

So, you're driving and in your rear view mirror you see the red lights flashing on top of the police cruiser. You catch your breath, your heart skips a beat and immediately your mind starts racing wondering what you have done wrong. Regardless of why the officer is pulling you over, there are some simple things you should and should not do that will help you get through this stressful situation.

Expert advice when arrested by the police

Being detained and arrested by the police is serious no matter what the offense and charge. If you are arrested you need to follow this expert advice to ensure you protect your rights, be smart and not do anything that will make things worse. Remember the police are just doing their job, but they know the law better than you.

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Criminal Law