| APPEALS OF FEDERAL CRIMNAL PROSECUTIONS |
| After several federal courts ruled that state bingo laws were regulatory laws that could not be enforced against Native American tribes, Congress began looking at legislation that would satisfy the interests of law enforcement agencies and that would help to alleviate the economic problems of the Native American tribes by raising revenue through bingo and gaming. As a result, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988. More... |
| WITNESS TAMPERING |
| A person commits the offense of witness tampering if he or she offers, confers, or agrees to confer any benefit on a witness or a prospective witness in a judicial or an administrative proceeding. More... |
| Production Immunity |
| Although the concept of production immunity is relatively new, in 1886 the United States Supreme Court held that the compulsory production of private papers containing incriminating information violated the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court has since found that as long as the subpoenaed papers were prepared voluntarily, the documents themselves cannot be said to contain compelled testimonial evidence. The documents therefore may not always be withheld on Fifth Amendment grounds. More... |
| Mortgage Fraud |
| Mortgage fraud has become a more prevalent crime in the past few years. In the last two to three years the number of mortgage companies has increased at a rate of at least 50%. As a result of the increase in the number of mortgage companies, mortgage brokers seem to be engaging in more and more fraudulent types of conduct. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has cited the increase in the number of cases involving fraud and mortgage brokers. More... |
| What to Do When You Have Been Arrested |
| After an accused has been arrested for committing a crime, what happens next and what should he do next? Once an officer has taken the accused into custody, he is no longer free to walk away, and the arrest is complete. An arrest is only proper and legal if the officer has probable cause to believe that the accused committed an offense or was about to commit an offense. An arrest is also proper when it is being conducted pursuant to an arrest warrant. However, if the warrant is not valid, numerous other issues will be raised. More... |

