The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution explicitly protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by the government or law enforcement. Sometimes, however, these types of searches are legal and constitutional. This often becomes a sticking point in criminal cases involving alleged drug crimes or weapons offenses. When Warrantless Home Searches by […]

The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution holds that every individual has a right to live free from unreasonable search and seizure by law enforcement. The founding fathers were concerned about unfair bodily and home searches while drafting this amendment. In modern times, there has been extensive debate about whether this right extends to […]

Spanking is a form of child punishment with a long history. Many of today’s parents were spanked as children, and some still believe that spanking has a place in proper child-rearing. Controversy over spanking children runs high. Several European countries have banned spanking, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child calls […]

Fifty years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made a landmark ruling in the case Miranda vs. Arizona. You have no doubt heard the words they mandated in that ruling over and over again: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. Those […]

Pennsylvania residents who find themselves facing criminal charges will have many things to learn about. The criminal defense process is one part of things they will need to know but so too is how a potential conviction may affect the rest of their lives. From a reckless driving charge to a homicide charge, these situations […]