Most people know about "Miranda" rights, and even if you don't know them by name, you've probably heard about them on a TV show or in a movie. These rights are named after a 1966 Supreme Court case, which saw the justices rule that the police have to read you your Fifth Amendment right to not make self-incriminating statements when they accuse you of a crime. Based on the ruling, this right must be read to you before you are questioned by the police.
The difference between felonies and misdemeanors
When you hear that someone was charged with a misdemeanor, you know that they did something wrong. But the name implies that though their act was criminal in nature, it wasn't so bad that it deserved the full force of the criminal justice system. Compare this to when you hear that someone was charged with a felony. In this case, you know that they did something very, very serious and that the criminal justice system deemed their act deserved the full force of the system.
How to defend against drug charges
When someone is charged with a drug crime, it is understandable to think that the accused individual is in a lot of trouble -- almost as if it is a foregone conclusion that he or she will be found guilty. There are a couple of things wrong with this line of thinking. First, no one is guilty until proven innocent; everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Second, there are plenty of viable defense strategies that can be used by the defendant to help his or her case.
