After an arrest, a criminal defendant will appear before a judge to determine whether the defendant should be released on bail or held in jail. This can be done at a bail hearing or combined with an arraignment which is where a formal reading of the charges is made. If the judge decides to allow the defendant…
Impaired driving, which also includes other forms of intoxication like marijuana, accounted for 35 deaths in Ontario in 2015, according to Ontario Provincial Police. What counts as impaired driving Impaired driving means operating a vehicle (including cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles) while your ability to do so has been compromised to any degree by consuming alcohol, drugs or…
One offense that may cause confusion is a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. On the one hand, a DUI is an offense that can only occur while driving. As a result, many people assume a DUI will show on a driving history check but not on a criminal background check. On the other hand,…
During a bond hearing, a defendant has to appear in court and request that the judge allow him to be released from police custody while the criminal case is pending. It is common for the initial hearing, where the accused hears the charges, to also be a first bail bond hearing. This is known as…
Larceny / Theft Simple theft (also known as larceny) is a type of crime that involves unlawfully taking or using property that belongs to another person or entity. There are many different flavors of theft charges in most jurisdictions, ranging from misdemeanor shoplifting to grand theft. Typically, they all have the same basic elements (i.e.,…
Definition of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when either: The conduct is made as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, education, living environment or participation in a University community. The acceptance or refusal of…
Domestic violence — also known as domestic abuse, intimate partner violence or abuse — may start when one partner feels the need to control and dominate the other. Abusers may feel this need to control their partner because of low self-esteem, extreme jealousy, difficulties in regulating anger and other strong emotions, or when they feel inferior…
When authorities arrest and take a suspect into custody, they typically set bail according to a pre established schedule. There’s no discretion involved—the agency holding the suspect (oftentimes a sheriff’s department) simply sets bail at the amount designated for the alleged crimes. Making a Case for Lower Bail Depending on the case and jurisdiction, a…
Criminal defendants under the age of 18 are sent to juvenile court. In juvenile court, you will not be tried in front of a jury. Instead, a judge will look at the evidence presented by a prosecutor and reach a decision on whether you have committed the crime. Juvenile courts offer youth offenders many sentencing options,…
Definition Of Youth Offender A young offender is a young person who has been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offense. Criminal justice systems often deal with young offenders differently from adult offenders, but different countries apply the term ‘young offender’ to different age groups depending on the age of criminal responsibility in that country. Young offenders, according to The Youth Criminal Justice Act, are individuals under…
