Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday signed 17 bills from the South Dakota Legislature that deal with a variety of criminal justice issues.
Category: Criminal Law
Can people with criminal records become criminal lawyers?
Criminal Lawyers -Becoming a lawyer in Michigan after a felony conviction is challenging, but it’s not impossible.Tenisha Yancey did it, before she was elected to the state House, even though law school admissions officials warned that she probably wouldn’t pass an evaluation that judged her character.
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America has too many criminal laws
America has too many criminal laws on the books. The most recent attempt at an official estimate from the Justice Department, completed more than 35 years ago, found that the federal government had defined more than 3,000 crimes in statute, a number that may well have doubled since then.
FBI Reports Dip In Hate Crimes, But Rise In Violence
While the number of reported hate crimes dipped slightly in 2018, violence against individuals rose to a 16-year high, according to numbers released Tuesday by the FBI. Continue reading “FBI Reports Dip In Hate Crimes, But Rise In Violence”
Study shows background checks reduce teen gun carrying
Teens are less likely to carry a gun if they live in a state requiring universal background checks in addition to federal requirements, according to a new study. Continue reading “Study shows background checks reduce teen gun carrying”
Bill making animal cruelty a federal felony has been signed
The bipartisan bill, Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The bill was passed in the Senate by unanimous decision on Nov. 5 after being approved in the House in late October. Continue reading “Bill making animal cruelty a federal felony has been signed”
The Difference Between ICE Detainers and Federal Criminal Warrants
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden continues to defend his policy of not honoring detainers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Continue reading “The Difference Between ICE Detainers and Federal Criminal Warrants”
Implied Consent: It is the Law?
Whenever you are drinking alcohol, whether sipping wine at a dinner party in Sioux Falls, or drinking beers and sight-seeing at Mt. Rushmore, having a designated driver is the best way to avoid a run-in with South Dakota law enforcement. In South Dakota, it is a crime to drive a motor vehicle if you are under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more. It is also a crime to drive while taking illegal or prescription drugs if it is impacting your ability to safely operate your car or motorcycle. Continue reading “Implied Consent: It is the Law?”
40 years after SD changed sentencing law, dozens are serving 100 years
Nearly 25 years ago, Joaquin Ramos entered the South Dakota State Penitentiary to begin a life sentence for first-degree manslaughter, angry about the circumstances that led him there even though sentencing law has changed.
Continue reading “40 years after SD changed sentencing law, dozens are serving 100 years”
Iowa Senator: Lower penalty for minor pot infraction
Penalties would be reduced for possession of small amounts of marijuana under a proposal that passed a key step Monday at the Iowa Capitol. Continue reading “Iowa Senator: Lower penalty for minor pot infraction”