| CLEMENCY FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS |
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| In some states, legislatures have recently enacted laws that grant the possibility of clemency by the states' governors for domestic violence victims who have been convicted of certain offenses, such as murder and manslaughter. In those states, the governors are entitled to request a clemency investigation by the states' parole boards into cases where defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of those offenses when the offenses were directly related to the defendants' being victimized by domestic violence.
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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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| RIGHT TO APPEAL |
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| A defendant has a right to appeal his or her final judgment of conviction and sentence by a trial court to a state's appellate court. In order to be considered a defendant for purposes of an appeal, the defendant must have been charged with a crime or the defendant must have committed a criminal offense. More... |
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| Video Surveillance |
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| Video surveillance may be conducted for investigative reasons for criminal matters. Because it has been found that video surveillance is covered under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, an individual has an expectation of privacy that may not be violated. More... |
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| NECESSITY AS A DEFENSE |
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| A necessity may be claimed as a defense when a defendant reasonably believed that his or her criminal act was immediately necessary to avoid imminent harm. The reasonableness of the defendant's act and the harm that was sought to be avoided by the defendant are the essential elements of the defense. The defendant must show that the harm that he or she sought to avoid was greater than the harm that was committed by his or her criminal act. In other words, the defendant must show that he or she was attempting to achieve a "greater good."More... |
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