What an arraignment is, and what happens next
An arraignment is the first court hearing where a defendant hears the formal charges and enters a plea, and in most cases it is over in minutes.
Aleksandr KomarovLegal
Legal explains criminal statutes, procedural rules and appellate reasoning in language a non-lawyer can follow. Each piece quotes the governing text, identifies the standard applied, and states what a ruling changes for future cases. Useful for defendants, students, journalists and practitioners needing a fast and accurate reference.
Legal coverage from Daily Detective News.
How bail works, and what actually decides who goes free before trial
Bail is not a fine or a punishment — it's a court's mechanism for balancing a defendant's presumed innocence against the risk of flight, built on a federal framework and a patchwork of state processes.
Aleksandr KomarovHow expungement and sealing work, and who qualifies
States increasingly erase or seal old criminal records automatically — but eligibility lines are drawn by offense type, waiting period, and jurisdiction.
Isabel DuarteWhat a mistrial is, and what happens after one is declared
A mistrial ends a trial without a verdict — by hung jury, procedural error, or misconduct — and the prosecution usually gets to decide whether to try again.
Isabel DuarteHow statutes of limitations work in criminal cases, and when the clock stops
Every offense has a filing deadline — five years for most federal crimes, decades or none for homicide — and a set of rules that can pause or extend it.
Isabel DuarteWhat mens rea means, and why intent matters in criminal law
The state of mind required for a crime — from purposeful conduct to plain negligence — often separates a conviction from an acquittal.
Isabel DuarteHow appeals work, and what a standard of review actually decides
Appellate courts do not rehear cases; they ask a narrow question about the trial record — and the label attached to that question often decides the outcome.
Isabel DuarteWhat the exclusionary rule does, and when illegally obtained evidence still comes in
The rule bars evidence gathered through constitutional violations — but exceptions for good faith, inevitable discovery, and standing limits swallow more than readers expect.
Isabel DuarteHow federal sentencing guidelines work after Booker made them advisory
For two decades judges have had to calculate the guidelines — and then sentence outside them whenever the case justifies it.
Isabel DuarteWhat double jeopardy protects, and where its limits are
The Fifth Amendment bars trying a person twice for the same offense — but separate sovereigns, hung juries, and appeals each carve out room.
Isabel Duarte