In last week’s posts, we looked at how the concept of “constructive possession” can be applied in criminal cases involving alleged computer crimes. In this post, we will look at a different federal case that at first sounds somewhat similar. But this case does not involve the possession of the data on the computer. Instead, […]

In our earlier post we introduced you to the concept of constructive possession as it applies to evidence in federal criminal trials. A suspect can be said to constructively possess an item when the suspect has exclusive control over the premises in which that item is found. So if a suspect owns a storage locker […]

Computer forensics is an important part of many federal criminal trials. When the case involves allegations of internet crimes, pornography charges, or other illegal online activity, the most important evidence may be the information on the computer hard drive. In many ways the search and retrieval of evidence from a computer is like the search […]

In our first post in this series, we looked at several factors that can decrease the reliability of witness identifications in criminal prosecutions. While witnesses may earnestly believe that they are, in fact, identifying the same individual that they saw commit a criminal act, too often the witness is simply wrong. Witness identifications can be […]

In movies and television, it is one of the most dramatic moments in a courtroom drama. The witness, sitting on the stand, raises a finger and points to the suspect and calls out that they saw the defendant commit the crime. But in reality, witness accounts of events are notoriously inaccurate. In many of the […]

About 90 years ago, a man named Charles Ponzi had a potentially money-making idea. The original plan was not only seemingly economically promising, but also apparently legal. It involved purchasing postal coupons in the aftermath of World War I. By purchasing the coupons at a discount in Italy and reselling them in the United States, […]

In recent decades, hospital stays have generally gotten shorter. Many procedures that would have traditionally required at least a few days of recovery in the hospital are now done on an outpatient basis. This is partially due to innovative techniques, which allow procedures to be less invasive, therefore allowing for a quicker discharge. It may […]

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many people sought refuge in various part of Georgia. The hurricane destroyed many homes and neighborhoods. Having to relocate, even temporarily, proved to be an expensive undertaking and especially difficult for those who were already struggling financially before the storm. While the response to the storm by the Federal […]