Sometimes, all it takes is an accusation. If you're accused of a serious crime, you may be assigned bail that you can't afford. If you can't afford bail, you could be stuck in jail for days or months. You could lose your job, your housing, your child custody rights....
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West Des Moines Criminal Defense Law Blog
Will judges and juries be able to identify deepfake evidence?
A deepfake video uses artificial intelligence to alter an image so that it appears to be someone else, or say something else, or depict someone doing something other than what they really were. Done with care, a deepfake can show almost anything you like, and it can...
Major poll says 94% of Americans want criminal justice reform
Weeks of nationwide and global demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis have had their effect, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The vast majority of Americans now see the need for criminal justice reform. And, a large majority (69%) now says...
How much does it cost to collect all those court fines and fees?
Is assessing fines and fees an effective way to administrate justice? Does doing so result in less crime? Lower recidivism rates? Or does it come down unfairly on the poor? Should communities pay for part of their court administration costs with fines and fees? What...
Misdemeanors make up 80% of all state court dockets
In the wake of the national and international protests over police brutality, especially towards people of color, more attention is being paid to how people of color enter the criminal justice system. One of the major ways is through a low-level misdemeanor offense.In...
Motorists should question the credibility of field sobriety tests
Motorists coming home from the bar may feel anxious if police stop them. In some cases, it doesn't matter if you're not impaired or below the legal limit; an officer may still choose to charge you with an OWI.Many have started to question how authorities determine...
Tyson Timbs’ seized Land Rover is returned to him, for now
Across the country, police use civil asset forfeiture as a tool in the War on Drugs. When the police deem property or money to be associated with a drug crime, they can seize it. Then, the owner has to prove that the assets were not connected with a crime. If they...
Why breathalyzer results can be challenged
If you're stopped for suspicion of drunk driving, the officer will ask you some basic identifying questions and then may proceed to conduct some field sobriety tests. There is a high chance they will have you blow into a breathalyzer to determine your blood alcohol...
States consider the problem of implicit race bias in jury selection
For a jury to be of "your peers," shouldn't it more or less reflect the ethic makeup of the community you live in?The U.S. Supreme Court case of Swain v. Alabama held that prosecutors cannot intentionally exclude African-Americans from juries without violating the...
Study: Many courts allow unscientific psychology tests as evidence
Recently, a report appeared in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest that indicated large variability in what psychological tests are being allowed in American courts. These tests are used in both civil and criminal cases and can have enormous...
