Criminal Law
| WAIVER OF APPEAL |
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| A defendant is entitled to waive his or her right to appeal his or her conviction by a trial court. However, the waiver must be knowingly and intelligently made by the defendant. The waiver may only be made after the defendant's right to appeal has accrued.
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| Plea Agreements Generally |
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| When a defendant has been charged with a crime, it is his decision whether to enter a guilty or not guilty plea to the offense. Often times, a defendant enters a guilty plea based upon a plea agreement. Many prosecutors offer defendants plea agreements or bargains in order to ascertain a guilty plea from the defendant. More... |
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| DURESS AS A DEFENSE |
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| If another person compels a defendant to commit an offense, the defendant may claim that he or she committed the offense under duress. The defense of duress means that the defendant did not have the necessary mental state to commit the offense or to be criminally responsible for the offense. More... |
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| Red Flags and Mortgage Fraud |
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| Due to the popular refinancing boom of the last few years, mortgage fraud has been on the rise. Unfortunately, borrowers tend to be the victims of the offense. The parties involved in mortgage fraud may include mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, appraisers, or borrowers. More... |
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| RELEASE ON PAROLE |
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| If a state's parole board grants parole to a prisoner, custody of the prisoner is generally transferred to the state's parole board prior to the prisoner's release on parole. The prisoner is usually transferred to a residential facility or a halfway house, during which time the prisoner continues to receive credit for good conduct time. More... |
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