How Does It Differ From Other Forms of Murder? What Are the Potential Penalties? The intentional killing of another person—commonly referred to as murder—is generally prosecuted under state law, though there are limited situations where murder can ... [Read more...]
The Current Status of the Death Penalty in America
Do Most States Have a Death Penalty? What Are the Differences Among States That Allow Capital Punishment? Capital punishment has been legally sanctioned in some form or other for approximately 4,000 years, from the Code of Hammurabi to the Hittite ... [Read more...]
What Is Homicide?
How Does the Law Define Homicide? What Are the Different Types of Homicide? The killing of another human being has been considered a crime for most of recorded history. The Code of Hammurabi, estimated to have been written nearly two thousand years ... [Read more...]
Getting a Police Report After an Auto Accident
When It's Required by Law | Why It's Always a Smart Thing When you've been involved in a motor vehicle accident, one of the first things people tell you to do is get a police report. But that can be a real hassle sometimes. Depending on the time of ... [Read more...]
What Is an Esquire?
The Truth Behind This Legal Title Chances are, if you work with lawyers on a regular basis, that at some point you've seen the designation "Esq." or "Esquire" on stationery or a business card. What is an esquire? What is the origin of the term? And ... [Read more...]
Bail Bondsmen-How They Get You Out of Jail
What Is a Bail Bond? How Does the Bail Bond Process Work? With certain types of criminal offenses, you can be incarcerated with a requirement that you deposit a certain amount of money with the court, known as bail. Bail is a tool used by the ... [Read more...]
Post-Nuptial Agreements
What Are They? How Do They Differ from Pre-Nuptial Agreements? What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of a Post-Nup? Many people are familiar with and understand how prenuptial agreements work. The parties to a marriage agree in advance how debts and ... [Read more...]
Grand Jury Indictment
What Is a Grand Jury Indictment and How Does It Work? Often, when a particular legal matter is getting a lot of press, there will be reports of grand jury proceedings and whether the grand jury has "returned an indictment." What is a grand jury ... [Read more...]
What Is an Easement?
How Does It Affect Your Property Rights? What Are the Different Types of Easements? How Do You Get an Easement? When you purchase and take title to property, one of the things that you typically expect is exclusive use of the premises. But that's ... [Read more...]
The 8th Amendment Ban on Cruel and Unusual Punishment
How Have Courts Interpreted This? What Are the Legal Limits? Under the 8th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified as part of the original Bill of Rights in 1791, "cruel and unusual punishment" is prohibited in the United States. Foes of ... [Read more...]