Criminal Law
| INJURY TO A CHILD, AN ELDERLY PERSON, OR A DISABLED INDIVIDUAL |
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| A person commits the offense of injury to a child, an elderly person, or a disabled individual when the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes serious bodily injury or impairment to the child, the elderly person, or the disabled individual. More... |
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| Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication |
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| A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly or intentionally engages in an act that is offensive to the public order. Examples of disorderly conduct include using abusive language in a public place, making an offensive gesture in a public place, creating a noxious odor in a public place, making unreasonable noise in a public place, fighting in a public place, or discharging a firearm in a public place. More... |
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| Production Immunity |
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| Although the concept of production immunity is relatively new, in 1886 the United States Supreme Court held that the compulsory production of private papers containing incriminating information violated the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court has since found that as long as the subpoenaed papers were prepared voluntarily, the documents themselves cannot be said to contain compelled testimonial evidence. The documents therefore may not always be withheld on Fifth Amendment grounds. More... |
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| INTOXICATION AS A DEFENSE |
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| Intoxication is defined as a change in a person's mental or physical capacity as a result of the introduction of any substance into the person's body, regardless of whether the substance is alcohol or a drug. Voluntary intoxication is when a person voluntarily places himself or herself in an intoxicated condition. Voluntary intoxication is generally not a defense to the commission of a crime, even if it makes a person unaware of his or her surroundings, makes him or her unconscious, or gives him or her no memory or understanding of his or her offense. More... |
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| Federal Government's Disclosure Obligations |
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| The federal government has a duty to disclose certain documents and evidence to the defendant. The federal government has a duty to provide the defendant with a copy of his prior criminal record. However, the only information that must be provided to the defendant with respect to his prior criminal record is that which shows which offense the defendant was convicted of. The federal government is not required to provide any other information with respect to the conviction. More... |
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