Category: Evidence
A 65-year-old man who appeared several times on America’s Most Wanted for a 1984 murder in Florida was recently arrested in California. According to news reports, Donald Santini had evaded authorities for almost four decades before law enforcement located him in San Diego. Santini is facing…
In Commonwealth v. Walker, 92 A.3d 766 (2014), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held expert testimony regarding eyewitness identification may be used in criminal court in Pennsylvania. However, the ruling means the trial judge gets to decide whether to allow the testimony at trial. The standard for the…
I have never been arrested before. My lawyer tells me that I have character. She also told me that character alone is enough to be found not guilty. Is this true? Is character evidence enough to get me acquitted? Character is enough to get you acquitted….
My lawyer and I have been discussing my prior record because I have new charges and I am debating whether I should testify in my new case. She told me my prior record may come into evidence if I testify, but it will not come in…
My lawyer told me that we can fight my case, but the DA has a strong case based on circumstantial evidence. What does this mean? Circumstantial evidence means facts are being presented and the person hearing those facts is asked to combine those facts to form or…
At my rape preliminary hearing, the judge did not allow my attorney to ask any questions regarding the physical injury, if DNA was recovered, or the prompt complaint. Why was my lawyer not allowed to ask questions on these topics? These issues are what show my…
Sometimes in criminal law, we get confused. We all understand the “confrontation clause.” The idea is that you have the right to confront your accuser. This concept pre-dates our system of law and government back to the Magna Carta. If you are accused of committing a…
