When the police are at your door in Missouri: Know your rights
What do you do when law enforcement officers come knocking at your door? Maybe they’re looking for a relative or friend of yours who’s suspected of robbing a convenience store. Maybe you’re having a party and one of the neighbors called about the noise. Either way,...
Controversial police property seizure practice still happening in Missouri
Nationwide, a controversial but common police practice has received increasing media attention. Called civil asset forfeiture, it refers to the police power to seize a suspect's private property if the police allege that it is involved in a crime. In many states,...
The difference between tax fraud and a mistake
People make mistakes on their taxes all the time. Most people have very limited education and experience regarding their own taxes, yet they are expected to do them on their own -- unless they want to pay someone to do it for them. This leads to many errors, some more...
What to do and what to avoid if you’re arrested
Being stopped by or pulled over by law enforcement is an anxious situation for anybody - and one that drastically raises our blood pressure. Even if you are sure that there is no reason an escalated incident could occur, like being charged and arrested, you never how...
The true meaning of ‘reasonable doubt’
The legal standard set out in Missouri's criminal codes states that everyone charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The same is true in federal court. But what exactly does this mean? The term "beyond a reasonable doubt" is...
What is entrapment?
People sometimes confuse lying with entrapment. The police can lie to you. A prime example is when an undercover agent pretends to be someone who is affiliated with some type of criminal activity. They play the role to get close to someone that they suspect is...
Is predictive policing biased?
Those who praise predictive policing do so in part because they say it is not biased. Essentially, a computer system uses artificial intelligence to guess where a crime may happen. The computer alerts the officers, who go to that location. Since it is a computer...
4 things to know if you are stopped by the police
It seems that every day the news features stories about encounters with the police that go terribly wrong. So, how can you avoid getting into a similar situation? If the police stop you, you can take these four steps to prevent things from escalating. 1. Remain calm...
When can police search your car without permission or a warrant?Â
Getting pulled over by the police is a difficult experience even in the best of circumstances. People often experience intense fear or anxiety during these interactions and may unknowingly do things that put them at increased legal risk. For example, officers will...
3 times when witness testimony can be challenged
Many criminal cases often come down to the word of the accused versus that of the victim. Other times, a third-party witness can provide testimony that either helps build a case against the defendant, or else contributes to a reasonable doubt that the defendant is...
