Lie detector tests have been used as a way to detect the truth in many circumstances, from criminal investigations to employment screening. While lie detector tests appear to be helpful for determining the truthfulness of someone's answers, they are not always...
Criminal Defense
Should you testify in your criminal case?
If you are arrested and charged with a crime, you have one mission in mind: actively defending yourself and getting out of trouble. And part of this might involve testifying in your defense. But should you testify in your own criminal case? The decision to testify in...
Is making prank calls a criminal offense?
During an uneventful day, some people — usually teenagers — engage in what they feel is harmless fun, like making prank calls. While many unlucky targets on the receiving end of these calls find them merely annoying, others feel like crime victims. This begs the...
Potential defenses for receiving stolen property
Someone may sell or lend you stolen property. If authorities find you in possession of such a property, you may be in trouble. Receiving stolen property is an offense in New Hampshire, as stated in Title LXII Criminal Code Section 637:7. However, you can defend...
The trouble with eyewitness testimony
Humans can carry out incredibly complex tasks. This includes criminal investigations. Law enforcement investigates crimes, scientists examine DNA evidence and crime scenes can be reconstructed to a large extent. Eyewitnesses also play a key role in providing insight...
Does a plea deal mean jail time?
You may feel inclined to accept a plea deal floated by the prosecution due to the uncertainty of going to trial. Nobody wants a case that will drag on for months with an unknown outcome. However, since your deal includes an admission of guilt, the prospects of time in...
Do the police have to read your Miranda rights in New Hampshire?
If you have watched any crime show, you have probably heard someone “read their rights.” But, exactly what are these and why do the police narrate them during the arrest or interrogation? Most importantly, are the police required by law to read them to a suspect? The...
You don’t need to make money to face drug trafficking charges
When people think of drug trafficking, they often picture dramatic scenarios. Perhaps they mentally conjure images of a dramatic television show they enjoyed, or perhaps they will think of real-world cases, like the notorious Black Tuna Gang that used a fleet of...
What’s the “trial tax,” and why does it matter?
Under the U.S. legal system, every criminal defendant charged with something serious is entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers, and it only takes one dissenting vote to get an acquittal. It’s a process that’s clearly (and purposefully) weighted in favor of the...
Why you can’t sell your leftover pain medication
It can cost a lot to purchase certain prescription medications. Pain relief, for example, has notoriously been quite costly. The introduction of synthetic opioid medications has reduced the cost of pain control drugs while also increasing the available supply. Despite...