It is unlawful in Mississippi to sell, give, or lend a deadly weapon, or illegal concealed weapon, or a pistol cartridge, to any minor under the age of 18, or any intoxicated person. Any person found guilty of this crime faces a punishment of a fine of up to $1000.00, or jail time not to [...]
Read MoreJuly 2010
It depends on what is considered a “win.” I try to win every case. When someone comes to see me, explains their charges, and retains my services, my first thoughts naturally turn to “how can I ‘win’ this case for my client.” Not many cases are won at the preliminary hearing, but in many cases the [...]
Read MoreIt is a violation of federal law to fail to report child abuse, if you are a member of certain professions that come into contact with children frequently, and you work on federal land or in a federally operated or contracted facility. Violations can result in fines, or imprisonment for up to one year, or [...]
Read MoreEntrapment occurs when law enforcement induces or encourages you to commit a crime that you would not normally have been “predisposed” to commit. In other words, they unethically “lead” you to do it. Mississippi recognizes entrapment as a complete defense to a crime, if certain conditions are met. Entrapment has two elements: government inducement of [...]
Read MoreNot statewide as of the date of this post, but you need to keep up with it. It has already been banned in certain Mississippi towns. What is spice? Last year I was involved in the court-martial of a servicemember who was charged with smoking “spice,” and I have to admit that I had [...]
Read MoreIf you try your case, and lose it, you absolutely should appeal. If there were enough issues that forced you to try the case, then there are more than likely going to be issues to be raised on your behalf in an appeal. You may not have the same lawyer represent you on your appeal that you had [...]
Read MoreAny person that profanely swears or curses, uses vulgar or indecent language, or is drunk in a public place, in the presence of two or more people, shall be fined not more than $100.00, or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than 30 days, or both. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-29-47. This [...]
Read MoreYes, absolutely. If you are accused of a crime, the prosecutor is required by law to provide you with all “exculpatory” evidence that is known to them. Exculpatory evidence is evidence that tends to prove that you are not guilty. The landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that mandates this is Brady v. Maryland, and any evidence [...]
Read MoreMoney laundering is the act of hiding or disguising the source or destination of illegally-obtained funds so that they are difficult to trace. Money is laundered so that the profits of theft, drug sales, or other illegal activity will appear to come from a legitimate source. While money laundering is often thought of as more related [...]
Read MoreWhite-collar crime is a “brand” of crime covering a variety of activities that usually involve cheating someone out of something. I’ve covered it previously here. The main deference between ”white-collar” crimes, like tax evasion, mortgage fraud, FEMA fraud, etc., and “blue-collar” crimes, like robbery, homicide, etc., is the means by which the offense is committed. Blue-collar crimes typically involve physical [...]
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