Criminal Law Newsletter
DURESS AS A DEFENSE
If another person compels a defendant to commit an offense, the defendant may claim that he or she committed the offense under duress. The defense of duress means that the defendant did not have the necessary mental state to commit the offense or to be criminally responsible for the offense.More...
Violations of the Federal Controlled Substance Act
The Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act gives the government the authority to supervise the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances. The Federal Controlled Substance Act (Substance Act) is a subdivision of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. More...
CONSPIRACY
A person commits the offense of conspiracy if he or she, with the intent to commit an underlying felony, agrees with one or more persons to engage in conduct that would constitute the underlying felony and performs an overt act in furtherance of the agreement. The person must know that the underlying felony will be committed. The person must also agree in advance to aid the commission of the underlying felony. The overt act does not need to be a criminal act in itself. More...
VIOLATION OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER
A person commits the offense of violation of a protective order when the protective order has been issued on behalf of a protected person and when he or she commits an act of family violence, when he or she communicates directly with the protected person or a member of the protected person's family, when he or she goes near the protected person's residence or employment, or when he or she possesses a firearm.More...
Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication
A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct when he or she knowingly or intentionally engages in an act that is offensive to the public order. Examples of disorderly conduct include using abusive language in a public place, making an offensive gesture in a public place, creating a noxious odor in a public place, making unreasonable noise in a public place, fighting in a public place, or discharging a firearm in a public place. More...