| SEXUAL ASSAULT |
| A person commits the offense of sexual assault when he or she intentionally or knowingly and without another person's consent causes the penetration of the anus or the female sexual organ of another person, causes the penetration of the mouth of the other person with a sexual organ, or causes the sexual organ of the other person to contact or to penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of the person or any other person. More... |
| Arraignments |
| After a defendant has been arrested, he will be scheduled for an arraignment. The defendant may have been released on bail or his own recognizance, or he may have been required to remain in jail until his arraignment. An arraignment is a proceeding whereby the offense that the defendant is charged with is read to him and he enters a plea to the offense charged. The defendant is also apprised of his right to:More... |
| CLEMENCY FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS |
| In some states, legislatures have recently enacted laws that grant the possibility of clemency by the states' governors for domestic violence victims who have been convicted of certain offenses, such as murder and manslaughter. In those states, the governors are entitled to request a clemency investigation by the states' parole boards into cases where defendants have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of those offenses when the offenses were directly related to the defendants' being victimized by domestic violence. More... |
| Witness Immunity From Prosecution |
| A witness may be granted immunity from prosecution by way of federal or state law. Immunity is granted in exchange for a witness's testimony about a certain event. There are two types of immunity available, use immunity or transactional immunity. More... |
| The Travel Act |
| The Travel Act was passed in the 1960's in response to organized crime. The Act was intended to assist state and local authorities with limited resources in their efforts to combat organized crime. The Act provides that any individual who travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity, commit a violent crime to further criminal activity, promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on of any criminal activity, may be guilty of violating the Travel Act. More... |
