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Criminal charges are scary, and convictions are even worse. Being subjected to the criminal justice system is not something anyone really wants to do. However, ignoring the criminal justice system is the surest way to end up on the wrong side of it. Frequently, when a person gets arrested while on vacation in another state, then gets released, or bails out, they’ll go home and never bother to return. Unfortunately, doing so not only ensures you’ll face additional penalties, but also can severely compound the amount of life disruption you face....

We all have our favorite TV cop shows, but these fictional men and women in blue always seem to get the law wrong. If the increasing reports of police misconduct and brutality are any indication, maybe art is imitating life. So for the benefit of real-life cops and real-life TV viewers, we present the five things that TV cops always manage to get wrong: 1. Beating a Confession Out of a Suspect....

The Great Smoky Mountains are gorgeous. So, of course the prospect of a dream vacation in the Smokies is going to appeal to quite a few people. And if you pay for that dream vacation by, say, investing in a Gatlinburg timeshare, you’d like to actually go on that dream vacation. But according to a recent lawsuit, one Tennessee resort was using high-pressure sales tactics to sell timeshares, and then never allowing buyers to visit....

Pharmaceutical giant Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay the government a total of $1.6 billion to settle claims that it illegally promoted off-label uses of its drug, Depakote. As part of the Abbott settlement, the company will pay a $700 million criminal fine and will plead guilty to one misdemeanor, The Washington Post reports. The agreement marks the end of a four-year investigation into Abbott’s marketing practices. Whistleblowers accused the company of marketing Depakote to doctors for schizophrenia, autism and dementia even though it is only approved to treat epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder....

A federal court has unsealed documents related to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe of the 2001 anthrax attacks, less than a week after the apparent suicide of Bruce E. Ivins, a U.S. Army scientist identified by the FBI as the person solely responsible for the string of anthrax-laced mailings. Search warrant applications, sworn affidavits, and court-issued warrants released Wednesday provide a paper trail detailing the federal government’s investigation into the anthrax attacks, which killed five people and sickened at least 17 others beginning in September 2001....

“It’s my doll!” “No, it’s my doll!” That is what this lawsuit would sound like if the opposing parties were, say, six. However, in this case the parties include a giant toy corporation and the “it’s my doll” argument takes on bit bigger ramifications. A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judge has just taken Mattel’s rights to the Bratz line of dolls away and given them back to the original owner, MGA Entertainment, Inc....

Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol Palin, has filed for a temporary order of child support from Levi Johnston. According to US Weekly, Bristol Palin wants $1,750 a month in child support from Levi Johnston. Bristol Palin wants Levi Johnston to pay up every month since Tripp’s birth on December 27, 2008. Bristol Palin’s request for permanent child support is pending. TMZ claims that Bristol Palin asserts in court documents that she has only received “limited and sporadic financial assistance from Levi....

Brooklyn’s District Attorney has come out against prosecuting low-level pot cases, under a new policy that will provide a clean slate for some drug offenders. District Attorney Kenneth Thompson’s office will not prosecute those who are arrested for possessing less than 25 grams (just under an ounce) of marijuana and will dismiss cases currently in the system. The Wall Street Journal reports that unlike similar programs in the other New York City boroughs, small-time pot offenders in Brooklyn will have their cases dismissed before having to appear in court....

Do you think you’re being sneaky? Think again. Big Brother is always watching. In the old days, police tracked debit and credit cards to find the bad guys. Now, that most on the run criminals know not to use their credit cards, the authorities have a new tactic. They’re tracking your Spotify and Netflix accounts! In a case of parental kidnapping, Brittany Nunn, of Wellington, Colorado, allegedly abducted her six- and four-year-old daughters, skipping town during a contentious custody dispute with the children’s fathers....

The old trope of horror and suspense films – where the bad guy’s call is traced to the same house as the victim – is taking on a new twist in an effort to scam unwitting answerers. Scam artists, able to spoof caller ID information, can make it look like they’re calling from a different place or phone number. And now they’ve started spoofing your own number, hoping it will make you curious enough to pick up....

According to two court-appointed forensic experts assigned to the case of Amanda Knox, DNA evidence that was central to her conviction and that of her ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, is “not reliable” and may have been contaminated. The two pieces of evidence in question are DNA found on a knife in Sollecito’s kitchen, which prosecutors believe was the murder weapon, and a bra clasp that was not found until 46 days after the murder....

A Florida couple forced a 13-year-old boy to kneel for nine hours a day for 10 days, and beat him with a stick when he moved, sheriff’s deputies say. Albert Cusson, 57, and his wife Nancy, 47, of Lakeland, Fla., allegedly fed the boy just one protein shake a day, and forced him to sleep in a bathtub, the website Tampa Bay Online reports. They’re charged with aggravated child abuse....

The U.S. Supreme Court issued two rulings Tuesday in separate cases involving police drug dogs and police detentions in relation to a search. One ruling seems to give police more freedom to conduct searches using drug-sniffing dogs, while the other works to limit police and their ability to detain suspects when officers are conducting a search of their home. Here’s what you need to know: The Supreme Court found that police could rely on their drug sniffing dogs for probable cause to conduct a search if the dogs have satisfactorily completed training for drug searches, reports Reuters....

The biggest shopping day of the year is almost upon us. Millions of Americans will be lacing up their sneakers right after their Thanksgiving meal so they can go toe-to-toe with fellow shoppers over the best deals. But be aware - Black Friday injuries can be serious. Shopping injuries are serious. In fact, Walmart drew headlines in 2008 when one of the retailers’ employees was trampled to death by eager shoppers....

Identity theft. Everyone worries about it these days, especially as the number of large data breaches increase. Some people now turn to identity theft protection companies to monitor their financial information. But this isn’t necessary – you can implement an identity theft protection plan by yourself. But to that, you first need to know how to spot identity theft. Here are some of the tell-tale signs: You get bills for credit cards you didn’t open....

If someone wrongs you, you may feel like seeking retribution. But is “an eye for an eye” revenge legal? There short answer is no – there is no “eye for an eye” law in the American criminal code. But why is such a simple concept not used more our legal system? Here’s a look at where the “eye for an eye” idea came from, and why it might not be able to work in modern society:...

Caring for those in need can be a dangerous proposition. According to one recent study, almost 80 percent of nurses reported they were attacked while on the job in the past year. And health care workers overall are subject to more workplace violence and missed more work due to workplace assaults than any other profession. Assaulting anyone is a crime, but assaulting certain people can mean increased criminal charges and penalties....

Director James Cameron ran into legal trouble when trying to enforce a code of silence at his private elementary school in Calabasas, California. The MUSE School, started by Cameron and his wife Suzy in 2006, was founded on the philosophy that “young people should have rights, as well as a voice and a choice in their educations.” Apparently this didn’t apply to MUSE School workers, who according to The Hollywood Reporter were forced to sign a confidentiality agreement barring them from discussing compensation, the kids who attended the school, or even their employer....

It seems that TLC has feisty one on their hands! Jon Gosselin isn’t willing to go down without a fight over their breach of contract lawsuit. According to NY Daily News, Jon Gosselin plans file a countersuit against the network for a cool $5 million dollars. The grounds for Jon Gosselin’s countersuit are that he feels that TLC took advantage of him when he signed the contract with the network since he was not adequately represented at the time....

According to the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault, one in four college women will be victims of sexual assault during college. But, fewer than five percent of rapes of college women are reported. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with the help of pop Goliath Lady Gaga, are on a crusade to change those statistics and stop sexual assaults on college campuses with the “2015 Opportunity Agenda,” more commonly known as “Enough is Enough....