Involuntary manslaughter can defined in several different ways, depending on the circumstances of a case. While involuntary manslaughter may, of course, be involuntary, it may also include a deliberate act. In some situations resulting in a death, the death was an accident or a caused by a careless individual. However, even in circumstances where a...
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Touch DNA May Change Conviction Rates in Criminal Offenses
So-called “touch DNA” may be able to link an alleged suspect to a crime scene. A man in Jacksonville, Florida was accused of grand theft and organized fraud after touch DNA linked him to several crimes in 2013. Allegedly, the 71-year-old man scammed a woman who was taking cash out of an ATM. He showed...
Read MoreDNA Samples May Be Garnered from Criminal Suspects Without a Warrant
The legal landscape just changed with regard to obtaining a warrant to collect DNA from criminal offenders. The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a decision that has enormous ramifications for criminal offenders and criminal defense attorneys. The Court handed down a ruling that says law enforcement officers may gather DNA samples without getting a warrant...
Read MorePolk Criminal Lawyer Thomas C. Grajek attends NACDL Forensics Evidence seminar on DNA evidence
In April, I attended the NACDL legal seminar "Making sense of Science." This continuing legal education seminar focused on how science plays a role in criminal cases. A main topic was DNA evidence in criminal cases. This evidence is found in rape or capital sexual battery and there is DNA evidence on the body. Or,...
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