Criminal Law
In-depth discussion of common crimes and possible defenses, an explanation of defendants' constitutional rights, the juvenile justice system, the process from arrest through arraignment and trial and more.
Arrest warrants, booking, jail, bail and "OR," grand juries, arraignment, and preliminary hearings.
In many criminal cases, a plea bargain for a reduced sentence may make sense.
If you've ever been arrested you know the first thing to do is get out of jail. Here's how.
If you've been arrest and charged with a crime, you'll need a lawyer. Learn about free legal representation and private criminal defense lawyers here.
Defendants charged with crimes are almost always best served by obtaining a lawyer. Find out why.
Find out if you qualify for the Public Defender, and what this lawyer can do for you.
Learn about hiring and managing your own defense attorney.
Learn about your lawyers duties and your own responsibilities.
It's rarely a good idea to represent yourself in a criminal case, but sometimes it may make sense.
Is self-defense always a valid defense to criminal charges? How do prosecutors prove criminal intent? Get answers to these questions and more in this section.
Here are some of the common defenses that criminal defendants can raise to defend against criminal charges.
An alibi can be an effective defense to a criminal charge, but how do alibis work?
Police questioning, search & seizure, street frisks, car searches.
Learn when police officers must obtain a warrant before they search your home or other property.
Do the police have to "read you your rights?" What happens if they don't?
When your record is sealed, or expunged, most of the time it's as if it never happened. The rules are different for every state.
You may be able to have your past criminal or arrest record(s) sealed. Learn how it's done.
It's not always automatic. Learn how to "erase" a juvenile criminal record.
Nolo's blog on criminal law topics and trending issues by Paul Bergman, a professor at the UCLA School of Law.
Check out recent legal updates that affect our criminal law products and content.
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