What Is The Sentencing Hearing?
Except for minor offenses, such as infractions a sentencing hearing is held where the final sentence or penalty is determined. The law gives the judge a great deal of leeway in determining what the …
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Legal Articles
Do You Swear to Tell the Whole Truth? The Admissibility of Lie Detector Tests
One of the greatest challenges for the judge and jury in the courtroom is to determine which witnesses are telling the truth. While witnesses must promise to tell the truth before taking the witness stand, judges and juries often hear conflicting testimony that indicates someone is being untruthful. It might seem like the technology of the polygraph, also known as the lie detector …
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Wrongful Convictions Resulting from False Confessions
In a substantial number of cases involving wrongful criminal convictions, innocent defendants voluntarily plead guilty, or otherwise confess to the crime with which they are charged. While it seems counterintuitive to the normal person to admit guilt to crime that he or she didn’t commit, innocent defendants sometimes erroneously admit guilt for a number of reasons, including fear …
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