Legal theorists and commentators point out a distinction, generally, between tort law and criminal law. “Torts,” or wrongs, focus on a behavior’s result whereas criminal law focuses on the action. Societal differences, on the most part, dictate this dichotomy. Those who commit torts should be required to redress the injury suffered by the victim. Those who commit criminal law should be punished for acting criminally, with a smaller focus on addressing a victim’s needs. Criminal law, as opposed to tort...

Suppose David enters his local Walmart and starts to look for some products. He walks around the store filling his cart with home improvement items and some seasonal things like a garden hose, mulch, and a kiddie pool. He is there for a while and walks around most of the store. He heads toward the cashier section and waits in line to pay for the stuff in his cart. Like all other shoppers, he places the items on the conveyor...

During the summer of 2001, then-representative Gary Condit was embroiled in a scandal about the whereabouts of Chandra Levy. Chandra Levy was a 24-year-old from California who had gone to live in Washington D.C. as part of an internship with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She was to return to California to participate in her graduation from the University of Southern California She did not return, which alarmed her family. During her time in D.C., she made acquaintance with Gary...

Current events in Norristown, Pennsylvania concerning the trial of Bill Cosby bring legal questions and maneuvering to light. Bill Cosby, once known as America’s favorite dad for his role as Cliff Huxtable on the hit television sitcom “The Cosby Show,” was found guilty of rape for drugging women and then having sex with them. In his pleadings, Cosby denied the drugging allegations and claimed that the intercourse with the five accusing women was consensual. Currently, he is awaiting the sentencing...

Much of current U.S. law is predicated on English Common Law, which was a set of laws developed in England starting in the Middle Ages. Much of Common Law was targeted at criminals and is a source of criminal law. The concept of the Common Law is rooted in the Magna Carta, a document signed by King John in 1215 that bestowed some rights to nobles and provided for fairness through a trial. Note that England was not a democracy,...

When disaster strikes in the United States, the Federal Government often provides various intervention measures. Perhaps the two most common of those measures are the use of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, better known as FEMA, and the deployment of the National Guard to keep law and order. The National Guard is deployed to assist local law enforcement during troubled times when there are power outages and other depleted infrastructure. Suppose a member of the National Guard arrests someone for...

Determining the proper jurisdiction in which to try a criminal defendant can be complicated. In its simplest form, the jurisdiction where the crime took place is the generally the jurisdiction where the trial should take place. Suppose a man from Kansas is accused of killing a man from Arkansas and the crime allegedly happened in Texas; Texas would then be the proper jurisdiction for the trial. In addition, the laws would be subject to the Texas Penal Code and the...

Highway Serial Killers

posted on 3/26/18

Truckers, at times, take a bad rap. Truck stops are considered seedy and have a reputation for being high-crime spots. What is more, there is significant talk about serial highway...

On August 18, 1992 in the town of Somervile, Texas in Burleson County, someone killed a number of people in a house using guns and sharp objects. Afterward, the killer poured gasoline over the house and set it ablaze. The funeral took place a few days later. Robert Carter, the father of one of the victims, showed up at the funeral with burns on his arms that were bandaged. This suggested that Carter may have been one of the people...

In relevant part, the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him.” This is known as the Confrontation Clause. The Confrontation Clause in the Constitution is of most importance with respect to providing a defendant with proper protection. That is to say, the Confrontation Clause provides criminal defendants with the opportunity to face prosecution witnesses and dispute those witnesses’ testimonies, which is accomplished...

Phantom Killer

posted on 3/5/18

Texarkana, Texas in 1946 was mayhem. At the time, a serial killer known as the “Phantom Killer” created havoc in the city to the point at which the city ordered...

Eyeball Killer

posted on 2/26/18

Police in the United States, when catching criminals, are known to like three things - guns, drugs, and prostitutes. They especially like them when there is a combination of some...