Justice King lays out one of a defense attorney's biggest problems today in his dissent in Copes v. State, decided today at the Mississippi Supreme Court. In Copes v. State, Justice King, in his dissent, perfectly encapsulates a dilemma criminal defense attorneys are...
One of the best ways to protect yourself if you’re accused of a drug crime is to get the evidence suppressed. By doing this, you could, in essence, completely destroy the prosecution’s case. With no evidence, it may be impossible to prosecute the case and win....
If you have been caught with drugs or are accused of being in possession, you’re in a difficult position. You do have the option of defending yourself, and you should. Your life could change forever with a conviction, so it’s worth your time and effort to build a...
If you see police lights in your rearview mirror and pull over for a traffic stop, what happens next is largely out of your control. The officer may accuse you of reckless behaviors and ask if you’ve been drinking. They may ask you to give a breath sample for a...
A police officer flashed their lights and pulled you over. Maybe they claim that you drove too fast or that your vehicle looks like one present at the scene of a crime earlier in the day. The next thing you know, they have asked you to step out of your vehicle and...
If you are stopped by the police or are part of an active investigation, they may want to search your property. In some cases, search warrants are granted based on flimsy evidence or claims, and if that happens to you, then you may want to challenge the warrant in...
Police can gather evidence for an investigation from just about anywhere. Many times, items that the average person would never consider a legal risk end up playing a role in someone's conviction. For example, the police could potentially pull fingerprints off of a...
Most of us have heard of the right to remain silent, but this phrase is just one part of the Miranda rights. What are your Miranda rights, and when do the authorities need to inform you of your rights? What is a Miranda warning? A Miranda warning, also called reading...
The MS Legislature passed HB 1352 in April of 2019 that greatly expanded the types of convictions eligible to be expunged. Governor Bryant approved it on April 16, 2019 with an effective date of July 1, 2019. Prior to this bill, the only felonies eligible to be...
Civil asset forfeiture is a method by which law enforcement agencies seize money, guns, vehicles, property or anything of value that they believe has been involved in violation of Mississippi’s Uniform Controlled Substances law. Until last year, MS had administrative...