In a workplace environment, “verbal assault,” or simply just saying mean or unkind remarks, may be grounds for disciplinary actions or a harassment lawsuit, but the same is not necessarily true when it comes to criminal charges. There is no such crime as “verbal assault.” However, physical assault is a crime. Threatening physical harm […]
We believe that no innocent person should be convicted or forced to plead to charges when he or she is innocent, or the State or federal government tries to punish a person too harshly.
We believe that too many innocent men and women are jailed and that too often, the punishment does not fit the […]
Anyone arrested for a DUI knows the police may ask you to submit to a few field sobriety tasks, not tests. If you fail these tasks or the officer has other reasons to think you’re intoxicated, the officer will ask you to submit to a breath test. The test requires you to breathe into […]
Parole and probation are both part of the criminal justice process. They are both terms that apply to defendants after they have been found guilty of a criminal offense. Defendants who seek probation or parole, or who have been charged with a violation of parole, can both benefit by having an experienced criminal defense […]
Before police officers give anyone they suspect of driving under the influence a breath test, most often they first give the suspect several field sobriety tests. The tests are not random. The tests must be done according to specific rules. If the police don’t give the tests in the correct way, that failure can […]
Many people believe that attending the right college is the most important decision for a child’s future. But parents can step over legal lines. The recent indictments of actresses Laurie Loughlin and Felicity Huffman prove this point. Huffman, who has starred in shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sports Night, has pled guilty to […]
Tennessee lawmakers are exploring legislation that would change the state’s current child support felony rule. Currently, the state requires that felons must be current with their child support payments before their voting rights can be restored. Current law also requires that felons pay all court fines and court-ordered restitution before they can be given […]
While being found guilty is devastating, there may still be ways to overturn the decision or reduce the sentence. There are different remedies that can be asserted depending on the facts of the case, the legal arguments that were made, and other factors. Here are the general rules.
After being found guilty, there is usually […]
Recently, Donald Q. Cochran, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced a new plan with Nashville Mayor David Briley to fight gun crime. The plan or initiative, according to Cochran, “is a proactive, forensics-based, data-driven strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on the rapid collection, analysis, and investigation of […]
“RICO” is an abbreviation for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The original purpose of the law, enacted in 1970, was to prosecute the Mafia, a then highly organized Italian-American criminal society. Prosecutors however have broadly used RICO to prosecute organized crime at its roots, with the goal of shutting down entire criminal […]
