| DELIVERY, DISTRIBUTION, AND SALE OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES |
| A person commits a criminal offense when he or she unlawfully delivers, distributes, or sells a controlled substance to another person. Delivery is defined as the actual or constructive transfer of the controlled substance to another person. Delivery may include selling, dispensing, giving away, or supplying the controlled substance. More... |
| VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER |
| A person commits the offense of voluntary manslaughter when he or she commits murder under the immediate influence of sudden passion that arises from an adequate cause. Sudden passion is also referred to as "heat of passion." More... |
| COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE |
| A commutation of sentence is the reduction of a defendant's sentence by a state's governor. It is a form of clemency. A commutation does not remove any legal disabilities of the defendant's conviction. It only has the effect of reducing the defendant's original sentence. A commutation has no effect on the defendant's guilt.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... |
| Self-Representation |
| A criminal defendant has a right to represent herself during criminal proceedings. Self-representation is a right afforded in both state criminal proceedings and federal criminal proceedings. The defendant has a right to represent herself and that right is implied within the purview of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Self-representation is also referred to as pro se defense. More... |
Marc A. Adair
Focus on atters of Criminal Law, Drug Crimes, DWI, Sexual Assault, Homicide.
