Steven J. Richardson | March 26, 2010
As a general rule of traffic court, all fines and penalties levied by the court are due and payable that day. However, defendants are often given time to pay in a pre-approved payment plan. But what happens if you don’t pay? What can the court do to you? Well, according to changes made at the [...]
Steven J. Richardson | June 26, 2009
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts ruled in a close, 5-4, decision that laboratory reports related to the testing of drugs at a police laboratory are to be considered as testimonial evidence within the meaning of the Sixth Amendment. In effect, this means that a criminal defendant has the right at trial [...]
Steven J. Richardson | July 6, 2006
During the months leading up to the October 17, 2005, changes to the Bankruptcy Code, there was a lot of talk about how much more difficult it would be to get a fresh start under the new law, creating a sense of urgency to file “before it was too late.” Now, after the changes, many [...]