In many instances in which a person is convicted of a crime, the court will not only sentence the person to a prison term but will also order the person to pay restitution. What constitutes reasonable restitution is often disputed between the parties. This was demonstrated in a recent child pornography case in Florida in…
Continue reading ›Articles Posted in Child Pornography
When people are charged with possessing or distributing child pornography, it is because an investigation revealed pornography in their possession. In most instances, the State cannot introduce evidence of wrongful acts to support the assertion that a person committed a crime, but in some circumstances, such evidence is admissible. The grounds for admitting evidence of…
Continue reading ›In many criminal cases, the State will lack direct evidence that a defendant committed a crime and will rely on circumstantial evidence to demonstrate the defendant’s guilt. While circumstantial evidence is generally permissible, hearsay evidence is typically not. As such, if a conviction is based on hearsay evidence, it may constitute grounds for reversal, as…
Continue reading ›The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted seemingly every aspect of society, including those who are currently incarcerated. In some cases, the pandemic serves as grounds for granting incarcerated individuals compassionate release. The courts do not readily grant compassionate release requests, however, and there are certain measures a party must take before a request is even considered.…
Continue reading ›Many criminal statutes include an element of intent. In other words, the prosecution must prove that the defendant possessed the mental state needed to commit the crime to obtain a conviction. In child pornography cases that involve the use of technology and sharing of files, however, the prosecution may not be able to establish intent.…
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