Plain-language answers to the most common criminal defense questions, written by Haute Lawyer Network's editorial team.
Entrapment is a criminal defense asserting that the defendant was induced to commit the crime by government agents — law enforcement or t…
Read Answer →An Alford plea — established by the Supreme Court in North Carolina v. Alford (1970) — allows a criminal defendant to plead guilty while…
Read Answer →Asset forfeiture is the government's authority to seize and permanently take property that was used in or derived from criminal activity.…
Read Answer →A criminal appeal is a post-conviction challenge to a court's legal decisions — not a retrial of the facts. The appellate court reviews t…
Read Answer →Cybercrime encompasses criminal activity involving computers, networks, and digital information. The primary federal cybercrime statute i…
Read Answer →Obstruction of justice is a broad category of federal and state crimes that share the common element of interfering with the administrati…
Read Answer →Criminal fraud involves intentionally deceiving another person or entity to obtain money, property, or some other benefit to which the de…
Read Answer →A grand jury is a panel of citizens — 23 jurors at the federal level, varying at the state level — that reviews evidence presented by pro…
Read Answer →Healthcare fraud is one of the most heavily prosecuted federal crimes — the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Serv…
Read Answer →Identity theft is the unauthorized use of another person's identifying information — Social Security number, date of birth, credit card n…
Read Answer →Securities fraud is the crime of making false or misleading statements — or omitting material information — in connection with the purcha…
Read Answer →The Federal Sentencing Guidelines are a set of rules that guide federal judges in determining the appropriate sentence for convicted fede…
Read Answer →Money laundering is the process of concealing the illegal origin of funds obtained through criminal activity — typically by moving the mo…
Read Answer →Drug trafficking — also called drug distribution or drug dealing — is the crime of manufacturing, distributing, selling, or possessing wi…
Read Answer →Habeas corpus — Latin for "you shall have the body" — is a legal procedure that allows a person in custody to challenge the lawfulness of…
Read Answer →Sentencing is the phase of the criminal process in which the court imposes a punishment on a convicted defendant. It follows either a gui…
Read Answer →Driving under the influence (DUI) — also called DWI in some states — is a criminal offense involving operating a motor vehicle while impa…
Read Answer →The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Evidence ob…
Read Answer →Domestic violence crimes are offenses — assault, battery, stalking, harassment, criminal threats — committed against a family or househol…
Read Answer →Probation is a sentencing alternative that allows a convicted person to remain in the community under the supervision of a probation offi…
Read Answer →The United States has two parallel court systems — federal and state — each with its own jurisdiction over different categories of crimes…
Read Answer →An arraignment is typically the defendant's first formal court appearance after being charged with a crime. The charges are formally read…
Read Answer →White collar crime describes financially motivated, non-violent crimes typically committed by business professionals or individuals in po…
Read Answer →An expungement is a court order that seals, erases, or destroys a criminal record — making it unavailable to most public inquiries and ba…
Read Answer →Bail is money or property deposited with the court guaranteeing that a defendant will appear at all required court proceedings. When bail…
Read Answer →A plea bargain — also called a plea agreement or plea deal — is a negotiated agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor in which…
Read Answer →The distinction between a felony and a misdemeanor is one of the most fundamental in criminal law. The difference affects the severity of…
Read Answer →No. With very limited exceptions, talking to police without an attorney present is almost never in your interest — even if you are comple…
Read Answer →If you are arrested, you have constitutional rights that protect you throughout the criminal process. Understanding these rights and know…
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