The criminal justice system is not perfect. Sometimes mistakes are made. Sometimes people are convicted and put in prison for crimes they didn't commit. That is part of why it is so important for the accused to have the best defense possible, particularly for crimes with serious consequences.
Slidell couple charged with insurance fraud in sale of boat
One of the categories of crime we write about on this blog is white collar crimes. These are offenses which, according to the website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, involve lying, cheating and stealing. Fraud is the crime most often associated with this category. Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the damage fraud schemes can wreak on companies, families and investors.
FBI reports decrease in violent crime nationwide
According to recent data released by the FBI, violent crimes have decreased in the first half of 2011 6.4 percent from the same time period last year. Property crimes have also apparently fallen, though only 3.7 percent, since last year. The decrease in crime is the latest continuation of a downward trend beginning around five years ago.
IRS to crack down on tax refund fraud
According to the Internal Revenue Service, the number of fraudulent claims for federal income tax refunds has increase fourfold over the past two years. In response, the IRS is now introducing new efforts to fight against fraud, including new screening procedures designed to flag questionable returns and refunds.
State officials work to develop tools to stop repeat DWI offenders
The state of Louisiana is currently developing a system to connect law enforcement and court systems, giving them better ability to track down drunk drivers, particularly those with multiple DWI violations.
FBI encounters hang-ups in criminal prosecutions for white collar cases, P.2
In our previous post, we began speaking about the FBI's efforts to prosecute financial crimes in connection to the financial crisis. As we mentioned, federal officials have apparently found that pursuing firms and individual executives for criminal charges has been more difficult since probes have began.
FBI encounters hang-ups in criminal prosecutions for white collar cases, P.1
According to David Cardona, a former top U.S. official who was responsible for investigating the financial crisis, a three-year review of probes at large mortgage lenders and securities firms has caused federal officials to conclude that many financial crimes cannot be successfully prosecuted, and are best pursued for civil charges.
High court will take up issue of life sentences without parole for juvenile murderers
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up two cases-one from Alabama and one from Arkansas-on the issue of whether teenage murderers should be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The issue is one that some Louisiana inmates are particularly interested in, as the state's justice system grants few petitions for clemency in such cases.
Louisiana man sentenced to 25 years for sixth DWI conviction
A 44-year-old Lacombe man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison following a sixth conviction for DWI. According to sources, the man was stopped back in May, while he was still on probation from his fifth DWI.
