Criminal Attorney – Common Reasons You’ll Find Yourself in Need of One

What may begin as an innocent lunch date with a friend could end in murder. On the other hand, maybe you were involved in an argument that suddenly escalated to assault. Furthermore, sometimes people get in trouble by doing things at their job that they know is illegal. In the end, you’ll need to find and hire a criminal attorney quickly. This is the only way to rest assured that you will have a pro working hard to get you out of trouble. Examine some of the most common reasons you’ll need the help of a skilled lawyer today.

Many times, people get in trouble simply by trying to outwit their co-workers, the company system, the IRS, or something else. Usually these offenses aren’t physically violent, but cause terrible damage all the same. For instance, if you are some type of financial planner that cheats people out of their retirement, this is a serious offense, known as a white-collar crime. In addition, there are other offenses such as failing to pay your taxes, forging documents, filing false insurance claims and much more. Hiring a seasoned criminal attorney is your only hope in your quest to clear your name.

In addition, some people let their emotions get the best of them and what starts as simple disagreement, quickly escalates to a full-on fight. Once it’s over and all the dust has cleared, you may find yourself charged with assault. Even if you were trying to defend yourself, that may not come out until a trial. In any case, you need a criminal attorney asap.

Furthermore, hanging out and having a drink with friends is usually no big deal. However, the problem arises when you try to get behind the wheel when you’re in no condition to drive. Yet, if you don’t have anyone to take your keys, you could get behind the wheel, crash your car, or worse, kill someone. In the end, if you make it out with your life, you’ll be charged with driving while under the influence and will need proper legal representation to help manage your case.

Everyone knows not to take things that don’t belong to him or her. However, if you think you can do it and get away with it, you’ll eventually find yourself in a world of trouble. Being charged with theft is a big deal. This isn’t the same as a misdemeanor crime, such as stealing a bar of chocolate. Instead, you may have broken into someone’s home, robbed a jewelry store, or something of that nature. There’s no way you could clear your name on your own, so hiring a criminal attorney is a necessity.

No matter what the situation is, if you are charged with any type of offense, getting the right legal help is a must if you plan to get your life back.…

Some Vital Questions To Ask While Hiring A Criminal Attorney

Criminal attorneys are the best people to help you out if you are charged with criminal offenses. Although, you will find a lot of criminal lawyers when you search for them, it does not necessarily mean that all are equally good at their work. US residents living in a number of cities like Kent (WA) and Tacoma (WA), who have had to deal with such attorneys in the past generally advice to get to know the work history of criminal attorneys before selecting one for your case.

Before you go ahead to hire a criminal lawyer, it is important to know the type of questions to ask them. Some of these questions are:

1. Experience in the criminal law: Start off by asking questions pertaining to his experience in this specific line of law. Ask him about the total number of years he has been practicing, where he got his degree in law, success rate, experience in dealing with similar cases like yours and such relevant questions. This is an important part of the entire hiring process which most US citizens residing in cities like Tacoma (WA) and Parkland (WA) would agree to

2. Assess your case: At the first consultation describe your case to the lawyer. Keep asking him questions to understand their grasp in such cases similar to yours like whether he is familiar to cases like yours, success rate of the lawyer in handling similar cases, potential results of the case, strengths and weaknesses of your case and similar questions.

3. Expenses and fees involved: It is good to know that hiring criminal attorneys can be a costly affair. It is always recommended to know beforehand the charges and fees involved before you finalize upon a lawyer to take up your case. It is good to ask him questions like the type of fee arrangements that he may offer, services included in the attorney fees and similar questions.…

How to Beat a DUI Charge

If you find yourself arrested and charged with a DUI, you may wonder if there is anyway to get out of it. It can happen, but there are a few things you should know. Driving under the influence can carry some rather significant penalties, including jail time, steep fines, and losing your driving privileges. If you’re trying to avoid these penalties, then keep reading.

Discredit the Evidence

This is the fastest way to get a case thrown out of court. Police officers do make mistakes and a good attorney can capitalize on these mistakes. It may be something as minor as not waiting long enough before giving you a breath test or you having something in your mouth during the test. It could also be something as major as a police office that didn’t have probable cause to stop you. Discrediting the evidence against you in a DUI case is the fastest way to get your case dismissed.

Get a Good Attorney

Now is not the time to try to defend yourself in court. Shell out the cash for a great attorney. Don’t skimp by hiring a cheap one that just got out of law school. An experienced DUI attorney will know how to discredit the evidence, look for flaws in the prosecutor’s case against you, and will be familiar with the local courts, staff, and judges. They also will know how to help you keep your driver’s license. There’s only a short amount of time in which to file the paperwork with the state’s license bureau and if you miss this filing date, you’re not going to be driving for awhile.

Don’t Miss Court

If you miss a court date, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. Not only will the original case still be there, you’re going to face additional fines and penalties for failing to appear. If you’re trying to beat a DUI, missing court is one of the fastest to ways to ensure it never happens.

Dress Appropriately

While you may feel like your appearance shouldn’t matter much, but it does. Showing up in your favorite pair of cutoff shorts and an old t-shirt can be taken a sign of disrespect. In fact, some courtrooms are very strict on what is allowed in the courtroom. If you have questions about what you should wear, then ask your attorney.

In Closing

The above information can help you beat a DUI, but it’s not a guarantee. Unfortunately, everything is in the hands of the judge. The best advice is to get a great attorney and let them work their magic.…

Terrorism Law Held Constitutional

Founded in 1974, the Partiya Karkeran Kurdistan (PKK) was established as a Marxist-Leninist insurgent group composed of Turkish Kurds who formed to seek Kurdish independence from Turkey. By the late 1990s the group had had morphed from a rural-based insurgent group into a full-fledged terrorist organization, sometimes using suicide bombings on civilian targets.

Founded in 1976, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) became one of the most lethal and well organized terrorist groups in the world that, beginning in 1983, waged an armed campaign in Sri Lanka to establish a separate Tamil homeland before the group was defeated by the Sri Lanka army in May 2009. The LTTE pioneered the use of suicide belts.

Both groups are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S Department of State.

The evidence is clear that the PKK and LTTE have engaged in terrorist activities, including suicide bombings, which have harmed innocent civilians. It was these kinds of international terrorist acts and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that prompted the U.S. Congress to enact the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) which was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in April 1996.

One of the controversial components of AEDPA was codified at 18 U.S.C. 2339B which makes it a federal crime to provide “material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations.” While Congress has amended the definition of “material support or resources” a number of times since 1996, Subsection 2339A (b) (1) offers the current definition:

“[T]he term ‘material support or resources’ means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel (1 or more individuals who may be or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious materials.”

Another component of AEDPA, the authority to designate an entity as a “foreign terrorist organization,” was codified at 8 U.S.C. 1189(a) (1), (d) (4). This authority rests with the Secretary of State who, after consultation with the Secretary of Treasury and Attorney General, must determine whether the organization is foreign, engages in “terrorist activity” or “terrorism,” and “threatens the security of United States nationals or the national security of the United States.”

In 1997 former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright designated 30 groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Two of the groups on that list were PKK and LTTE.

The Humanitarian Law Project, which was founded in 1985 and is “dedicated to protecting human rights and promoting the peaceful resolution of conflict by using established international human rights law and humanitarian law,” filed a lawsuit in 1998 challenging the “material support or resources” provisions of A� 2339B. The lawsuit’s long convoluted history found its way to the U.S. Supreme Court and, on June 21, 2010, that court in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project upheld the constitutionality of the terrorism statute.

The Humanitarian Law Project (HLP) filed its lawsuit because, according to the group, A� 2339B prevented it from providing support for the humanitarian and political activities of PKK. This included: (1) “training members of PKK on how to use humanitarian and international law to peacefully resolve disputes”; (2) “engage in political advocacy on behalf of Kurds who live in Turkey”; and (3) “teach PKK members how to petition various representative bodies such as the United Nations for relief.” HLP also charged that A� 2339B prevented it from providing monetary contributions, legal training, and political advocacy for the LTTE. This included: (1) “train members of LTTE to present claims for tsunami-related aid to mediators and international bodies”; (2) “offer their legal expertise in negotiating peace agreements between LTTE and the Sri Lankan government;” and (3) “engage in political advocacy on behalf of Tamils who live in Sri Lanka.”

The HLP based its lawsuit on three constitutional challenges to 2339B: 1) it violated their First Amendment freedom of speech; and 2) it violated their First Amendment freedom of association. These two challenges were premised on the theory that 2339B criminalized their support to PKK and LTTE without the Government having to prove that HLP had a specific intent to further the unlawful ends of those groups. Finally, HLP challenged 2339B as being unconstitutionally vague.

A central issue in the case initially focused on exactly what constituted “personnel” and training.” While the lawsuit was pending, and in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, Congress enacted the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Patriot Act) which amended the “material support or resources” provision of 2339B to include the term “expert advice or assistance.” The HLP filed a second lawsuit, which was ultimately …