Questions tagged [criminal-law]
For questions about laws related to crime. Please add a location tag if the question is specific to a particular jurisdiction.
2,063
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In a US Stand-Your-Ground state, is it legal to shoot someone who accidentally enters a home?
In an American stand-your-ground state, say a house-cleaner is sent to a house and told to go right in and clean it. But they were given the wrong address by mistake, so they walk into another house; ...
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Can the police allow someone to look around my property for anything stolen? [closed]
I was cleaning a property when the police rolled up, said I wasn't supposed to be there.so they got a warrant for my place and allowed a man from the property to come and walk around my place to see ...
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Is there such a thing as specific agents/officers legally pursuing international criminals across borders?
This is a continuance of this question regarding Interpol.
The answer to that question left a hole; who's going to be the international pursuer in the classic, world-wide cat-and-mouse game? It is a ...
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To what degree can Interpol agents take part in an international pursuit?
I wonder to what degree Interpol agents can take part in the pursuit of an international fugitive. The whole reason Interpol exists is precisely because one country's authorities cannot simply pursue ...
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Happened in Australia, tried in Spain?
A few days after he allegedly kissed in the mouth a female player without consent, it has been announced that "(Luis) Rubiales (...) faces an investigation that could end in sexual aggression ...
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Has anyone been charged with a crime committed in space?
Has anyone, in any jurisdiction, ever been charged with a crime for acts (allegedly) committed in outer space?
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Does murdering the President of the United States differ, as a crime, from regular murder?
So, the prospect of siccing a semper tyrannis on the current POTUS has been discussed for the past quarter millennium or so. This has left me wondering, what sort of laws are there against murdering, ...
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Is using hidden city ticketing a theft of service?
In some cases, A-B-C flights (from A to C with layover at B) cost less than a direct A-B flight with the same company. "Hidden city ticketing" is the practice of taking the cheaper A-B-C ...
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Is it possible to go to trial while pleading guilty to some or all charges?
I understand that when a defendant is charged with one or more crimes, one of the following outcomes almost always occurs in practice: either
1 . They plead not guilty to all charges and go to trial, ...
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In a criminal trial, is the prosecution allowed to discuss its plea bargaining with the defendant?
Suppose that someone is charged with a crime. Before they are arraigned, they negotiate with the prosecution about a potential plea bargain, but do not reach one and instead go to trial.
During the ...
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What are the most severe possible sentences faced by the three accused Russian spies?
Three Bulgarian National alleged Russian spies have been arrested and charged in the UK. What is their worst possible outcome on the other end of this?
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Why is drunk driving causing accident punished so much worse than just drunk driving?
When people drink and drive and then cause an accident especially where if someone dies they get years and years in prison but just the act of drunk driving is punished way more lenient. Shouldn't ...
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Is deliberate radio interference a crime?
I know that it is forbidden by FCC regulations to deliberately interfere with radio communications, but is it a crime?
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When did indictments stop saying people were "moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil"?
Criminal indictments used to use much more detailed and flowery language than they do now. I was surprised to learn, while looking at some early U.S. documents, that they had retained a feature of ...
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In American criminal law, do prosecutors who seek to prosecute a defendant need to have evidence of the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?
Would the judge in a criminal trial consider a prosecutor's statement that some evidence is representative of a defendant's guilt is a false statement by seeking the evidence to be inferred as ...
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Which law rules polygraphs inadmissible in UK?
Where does it say that polygraph tests (lie detector tests) are inadmissible under law in England and Wales?
I am mostly interested in their usage being disallowed for criminal (both Magistrates' ...
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Does the First Amendment shield the previous president from the August 2023 D.C. Indictments?
The former president is charged with:
Count 1: 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy to Defraud the United States)
Count 2: 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k) (Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding)
Count 3: 18 U.S.C. ...
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Under what legislation has former U.S. President Trump been indicted for "conspiracy to defraud the US"?
It's reported by BBC News that Mr Trump is charged with four counts, including:
conspiracy to defraud the US
tampering with a witness
conspiracy against the rights of citizens
Focusing on the ...
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1
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At what point is it punishable to support a "criminal organisation"?
A friend said to me the other day that she was worried that she had supported the the "Last Generation" ("Letzte Generation") organization financially. The Last Generation often ...
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Can I legally give someone the right to cannibalize me?
Let say I and a friend are stranded somewhere, starving, and confident rescue will not come until we both have starved. Realizing that it makes more sense for one to live then both of us to starve we ...
2
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What is the threshold of disruption caused necessary to establish an aggravated trespass?
Section 68 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 creates the offence of aggravated trespass turning the act into a crime from a mere civil tort.
But the line seems rather fuzzy. So which ...
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Can a judge or prosecutor be compelled to testify in a criminal trial in which they officiated?
Without considering why a party in a criminal trial might want to do so, are there any obstacles to subpoenaing and examining any of the following people as witnesses during the trial? ETA: Not as ...
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Ex bank account [closed]
My boyfriend at the time wanted me to go to town and get some money from his account. We live an hour from town so he gave me his card like always before. I had this check from a ad company that was ...
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Gaslighting ; criminal or civil
Gaslighting can be extremely damaging. Like Gang-Stalking, it is near impossible to prove it executed correctly.
How can gaslighting be prosecuted as a crime?
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Why don't victims often sue perpetrators / suspects? [closed]
Famously, although O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, he was later sued by their families and found to be liable for the deaths in a civil court. The difference ...
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Secret Service Protection for Former U.S. Presidents During Incarceration
Under the provisions of the Former Presidents Act (FPA), is there any legal precedent or relevant existing laws that address the issue of Secret Service protection for a former U.S. president during a ...
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740
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Legal definition of a "child" in the United States
I notice that in several criminal cases women who are clearly post-pubescent teenagers are being legally characterized as "children", so I am wondering about the terminology here. For ...
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Is it illegal for an American to go to North Korea?
Is it illegal for US citizens to travel to North Korea?
It may currently be impossible and probably a very bad idea, but is it actually illegal?
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Where in U.S. law is it officially argued that the U.S. criminal justice system presumes defendants commit crimes with free will?
I've been studying the relation between free will and the U.S. criminal justice system, and it appears that there is the argument that whether or not a defendant had free will to commit a crime is a ...
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How many witnesses’ testimony constitutes or transcends reasonable doubt?
Alice punches Bob. Or stabs him. Either way it was from behind and he did not see who did it before going unconscious, but the entire thing was witnessed by Charles. However there was no other ...
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Is there such a thing as 'attempted copyright infringement' in the UK?
I've recently read an article about a proposed bill that would criminalise attempted copyright infringement in the US. link - https://www.wired.com/2007/05/ippa07/
I was wondering if the UK had any ...
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Is an unauthorised appropriation with simultaneous deposit of another value a theft? 🍫
Today I tried to explain to my daughter what the saying "opportunity makes the thief" means.
My example: Someone forgets his expensive chocolate 20 euros on a table in the park. You see the ...
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Can prosecutors delay an indictment to hinder the defense?
Suppose a crime were committed with a very long (or no) statute of limitations, like murder.
The prosecutor has enough physical evidence to charge someone with the crime. However, they know that this ...
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Is religious confession legally privileged?
I'm referring to Catholic confession to a priest. I'm sure, like attorney-client privilege, that if you disclose a future crime you are planning to commit then they can and will tell the police. I'm ...
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Can the Secret Service arrest someone who uses an illegal drug inside of the White House?
In light of the recent discovery of cocaine inside the West Wing of the White House, I am wondering if a person who either lives in, or works in, or makes a visit to the White House, is caught using ...
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Have people been charged for obstructing evacuation?
When evacuating a vehicle or a building in distress, the evacuees are normally supposed to leave their belongings behind. This doesn't always happen.
Technically, if actual harm comes to others ...
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Why is the Crown Court called the Crown Court?
The Crown Court in England handles the graver charges known as indictments. Less severe criminal proceedings are heard in magistrates' court. Why is the Crown Court named Crown Court? Does it have ...
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Does Trump have the right to waive a jury trial and request a bench trial in the classified documents case?
In the Federal criminal case against Donald Trump in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, does former president Trump have the ability to waive a jury trial and request a bench trial?
Given ...
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To what extent will Artificial Intelligence affect criminal court proceedings with respect to digital evidence? [duplicate]
These days (2023) AI can produce convincing images and even videos that realistically portray people saying or doing things that they did not actually do. Currently we can employ experts to detect ...
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Security clearance of police officers
My question is inspired by this one, but it’s not the same.
It is my understanding that the federal law-enforcement officers who seized the boxes of documents held by “45” expected to find some papers ...
3
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Legal consequences of an accidental Google search
I am someone who frequents several imageboards. As often happens, because there's complete anonymity, people often say the most insane, outrageous and vile stuff imaginable. Against my better ...
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Could they subpoena Mike Pence to testify whether he knew that Trump had taken classified documents out of the White House?
In regards to the trial that will take place in the future regarding the issue of former U.S. President Donald Trump mishandling classified documents, I was just wondering if former Vice President ...
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When flatmates get an AVO against each other, who has to move out?
If one flatmate trespasses in another’s room after an extended period of hostile verbal and nonverbal communication, can the flatmate who was trespassed against get an AVO? If so, who has to move out?
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Can the victim drop charges?
In this example, pretend Alex stabs Bob using cutlery (a knife) at a restaurant, who subsequently presses charges as it was an unprovoked attack.
Bob later decides to drop the charge, he has survived ...
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How to get official confirmation if anyone has filled a police complaint against me or not
My wife has alleged that she made a police complaint against me in Germany for a false domestic violence case. Is there a way to find out if any complaint has truly been filed against me or not if I ...
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How can a lawyer represent a guilty client? [duplicate]
This is specifically referring to the circumstance where a lawyer knows for a fact that their client is guilty through whatever means, and the client is pleading not guilty.
So I have often heard that ...
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What powers do the police have to stop a car in Oklahoma?
Can a police officer in Oklahoma pull you over because they think your ID is suspended, despite not committing any traffic violations? Also is it lawful for the officer to write a police report before ...
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Can you aid and abet a crime against yourself?
Bob tells Bill, "I want to shoot someone, but I don't have a gun." Bill gives Bob a gun. Bob then shoots Bill. (Assume that Bill survives, both are legally allowed to possess the gun, the ...
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In which jurisdictions is publishing false statements a codified crime?
Whereas publishing false statements can often be a civil wrong (e.g. libel/defamation), I am seeking examples of where it has been criminalised and codified.
Limitations:
Reasonably genuinely ...
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Is it bigamy to marry someone to whom you are already married?
The goal is to obtain legal proof of marriage with the least amount of effort, such as travelling overseas and hiring translators and notaries. This is not a "renew vows" situation.
Answers ...