Getting arrested can be a very nerve-racking and stressful event for the average citizen. Although, the most important thing you can do during such a time is to remain calm, comply with law enforcement and understand what rights you have. Just because you’re being arrested doesn’t mean your life is over, and to make the [...]
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May, 2022Pullover Protocol: How To Act And What To Say When You Get Pulled Over
Ah, the open road and the exhilaration of speed; an uncommon feeling of freedom. You know the speed limit is 35, but 50 just feels so right, and aren’t those speed limits just vague suggestions anyway? Suddenly, coming out of a particularly exciting turn, you see it: a parked police cruiser. You slam on the [...]
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Mar, 2022What is the Burden Of Proof?
Whether you’re a long time Judge Judy devotee, a crime drama addict, or simply someone who overheard a legal case on the news, you’ve likely heard the term Burden Of Proof before. But what does the phrase mean, and where does it fit into our legal system? If you’re looking for answers, you’ve come to [...]
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Feb, 2022Commutation of Sentence; A Fitting Forgiveness
The tension between constructive and destructive punishment is an ever present reality in the legal system. Is the aim to condemn and punish poor behavior with no intention of reform, or to guide lawbreakers into a redemptive, productive future? At its best, clemency is an effort to tip the scales in the latter direction, aimed [...]
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Jan, 2021Landmark Cases: Gideon v. Wainright
If you can't afford a defense attorney, do you have the right to get legal counsel for free? Where does this right come from? In our second installment for our series on landmark cases, we're taking a look at Gideon v. Wainright (1963). Just like last week's post, this case also involves the rights of [...]
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Dec, 2020Federal and State Sovereign Immunity
Continuing our series on legal immunity, we're looking at federal and state immunity today. You can check out our posts on qualified immunity, absolute immunity, and sovereign immunity at those links. As you know, along with power distributed between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches in the U.S., it is also distributed between federal, state, [...]
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Dec, 2020What is Sovereign Immunity?
What is sovereign immunity? Recently, we discussed both absolute immunity and qualified immunity. Each of these are specific forms of "sovereign immunity." In today's blog, we'll flesh out what this legal doctrine means, and its relevant to you. First, according to the Legal Information Institute, sovereign immunity means that "the government cannot be sued without [...]
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Mar, 2020Coronavirus and New Jersey Law
It seems like every day new information about the coronavirus, or COVID-19, comes out. Few things are more important to your health and safety than knowing how to protect yourself. To that end, new policies and laws are getting passed every day. However, the situation seems to impact each state differently. Therefore, it’s important to [...]
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Jan, 2020Takings Clause and Just Compensation
Imagine living in a country where the government can seize your property for no reason at all. If they want to take your home away from you and put you out on the street, they can. If they want to take your car for no reason, they can. Or if they want to take your [...]
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Dec, 2019Your Right to Trial by Grand Jury
In our fourth blog about the Fifth Amendment, we cover your right to trial by grand jury. If you're curious about what else the fifth amendment says, be sure to check out our posts on pleading the fifth, double jeopardy, and due process. As we've discussed before, the fifth amendment of the US Constitution in [...]