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If you watch television, the one Constitutional right you’re bombard with everyday is your right to an attorney. But just because a cop will tell you, “…If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you …,” does this really mean you have a right to a public defender? Well, if you financially qualify, the answer is “yes.” The right to the assistance of counsel is given in the Sixth Amendment and repeated forever with a policeman’s reading of the Miranda rights....

A mere three hours after Kayla Mendoza tweeted “2 drunk 2 care,” her car smashed into another vehicle, killing two 21-year-olds. If Mendoza is charged, can her tweet be used against her in court? Investigators say Mendoza, 20, of Hallandale Beach, was driving the wrong way on Florida’s Sawgrass Expressway when she crashed November 17, killing Kaitlyn Ferrante and Marisa Catronio. Mendoza is being treated at a hospital; it’s not yet clear if she was driving under the influence, ABC News reports....

Conrad Murray’s trial has taken a strange turn. Defense witness and medical expert Dr. Paul White reportedly called one of his former colleagues a “scumbag.” Dr. Steven Shafer, the prosecution witness who was insulted, used to be one of White’s colleagues. White and Shafer worked on books together in the past. Shafer even nominated him for an award in 2009. The two formerly amicable colleagues are now on opposite sides of the courtroom....

What effect will the recent ruling on the Florida death penalty have on Casey Anthony’s potential sentence? For Casey Anthony, a death sentence is a real possibility if she is found guilty of first-degree murder, as prosecutors have been pursuing capital punishment. Anthony is currently standing trial for the murder of her daughter, Caylee Anthony, who was two years old at the time. Now, a Florida judge has ruled that the Florida death penalty procedure is unconstitutional....

Chris Brown just can’t seem to keep himself out of the headlines. The singer is now under investigation for allegedly assaulting rapper-singer Frank Ocean. Unlike Brown’s brawl with Drake last year, it wasn’t Rihanna but rather a parking spot at a West Hollywood recording studio that supposedly led to this fight, reports The Associated Press. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which patrols West Hollywood, is currently investigating the incident. So far, no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed....

Part of the reason courts do not admit most hearsay statements is because they run afoul of the Constitution. The 6th Amendment’s Confrontation Clause gives criminal defendants the right to confront (cross-examine) witnesses who are offering “testimonial” evidence against them. At trial, an officer testified to this conversation, which sparked a round of appeals. The defendant argued that the statement was testimonial in nature, reports the ABA Journal, and because he could not cross-examine the victim, the officer’s testimony was impermissible hearsay....

Apart from manufacturing cheaply made goods in China for import to the US, Ivanka Trump is helping her dad in his campaign to Make America Great Again (that’s a trademarked phrase). Reportedly, she’s struggling with both. The daughter of the Donald and former model Ivanka Trump, a businesswoman, had 20,000 scarves recalled for flammability. Meanwhile her voter registration lectures turned out to be hypocritical, and neither Ivanka nor her brother Eric are registered to vote in the upcoming New York Republican primary....

Dr. Conrad Murray says he desperately needs to continue practicing medicine and filed legal papers pleading with the judge. According to court papers, the Jackson doctor is “hanging on by a thread” and needs to keep his medical license in order to pay for his defense, the Associated Press reports. Murray’s lawyers are responding to the State Attorney General Jerry Brown’s motion urging the court to revoke his license, as previously discussed....

Many of us feel that the worst crime a person can commit is sexual abuse of a child. But even that can be made much worse. In a shocking story out of Mars Hill, Maine, a woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for making–and sharing–pornographic videos of herself performing sex acts on her two year old daughter. In 2009, a man named Nicholas Wilde was arrested in the U....

As of this month, foods sold in Vermont must have a label that indicates whether they contain genetically modified organisms, better known as GMOs. It is the first such law in the nation and the controversy it sparked looks likely to lead to a national law addressing genetically engineered food labels. Big food companies have reportedly lobbied legislators in Washington, D.C., opposing the Vermont measure, Act 120. Also, the Grocery Manufacturers Association challenged Act 120 in federal court, calling it unconstitutional....

As the economy remains stagnant, many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. That’s why some have turned to payday loans. But, these loans come with high interest costs and can be difficult to pay back, which is why more individuals are turning to payday loan alternatives. One such alternative in California is something called the Self-Help Micro Branch. Millions of Americans do not have access to traditional banking accounts. But the Micro Branch fills a niche by providing basic services to those who live paycheck-to-paycheck....

Ohio model Nicole Forni is suing after her lingerie photos were sold, allegedly without her consent, and wound up being used for a variety of pornographic products. Forni, 23, signed up for an admittedly racy lingerie shoot with photographer Joshua Resnick, but only on the promise that the titillating pics not be used in an “adult-oriented, pornographic, or obscene manner.” The New York Post reports that Forni was shocked to find her picture on the cover of erotica e-books and “other adult-photo companies’” websites....

Last Friday, Fiat Chrysler announced a rather serious recall for their Dodge Ram pickup trucks. The problem has been linked to one death and two other injuries. The newest recall comes just one month after a rather minor recall was announced due to incorrect warnings on the sun visors of the 2014-2017 Ram ProMaster vehicles. The latest recall however is not so minor and can lead to fatal injuries. The problem was discovered after the company was sued as a result of a rollover accident....

Officials from the Peanut Corporation of America have been charged with fraud and conspiracy after the 2009 salmonella outbreak, reports Wired.com.The indictment comes from a Georgia court. The peanut officials have been charged with knowingly distributing salmonella-contaminated products. The outbreak killed nine people. A total of 714 people were infected with salmonella in 46 states. This was not necessarily the largest outbreak of salmonella, but it was one of the more egregious cases, particularly because of the allegations that the higher-ups at the PCA knew about the salmonella and turned a blind eye....

Calling the increase in adjustable rate home mortgages “troubling”, President Bush today announced a number of federal measures “to help American families keep their homes.” Bush stressed the need for lenders to work with homeowners to adjust problematic mortgages, and outlined specific federal goals – including improvement of the Federal Housing Admnistration’s ability to aid homeowners, reforming certain housing provisions of the federal tax code, launching a new foreclosure avoidance initiative, and taking action to increase transparency and fairness in the mortgage industry....

Former MTV’s Real World reality star Puck was sentenced to parenting classes over his recent domestic violence charge. Puck, otherwise known as David Rainey, will spend 4 years on probation. He will also attend 52 weeks of a domestic violence counseling program and 52 parenting classes in Los Angeles. Puck will also need to serve 30 days on a highway cleanup patrol. Puck’s sentence stems from his domestic violence arrest in June....

Riddell was found not liable in a lawsuit brought against it for a high school football player’s injury. A Mississippi jury took five days to unanimously hold that the football helmet manufacturer was not responsible for the stroke suffered by a ninth grade student, reports The Associated Press. The student had been participating in a school-sponsored football practice when he was hit. The parents of the student claimed that the helmet pushed back on the student’s neck, causing the stroke....

State Farm Insurance has reached an agreement with officials from the State of Mississippi under which the insurer will pay the claims of more than 600 Mississippi homeowners who suffered serious property damage after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005. As part of the agreement, State Farm will also reconsider the closed claims of thousands of other Mississippi homeowners. From the Mississippi Sun Herald: State Farm Settles From the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger: Settlement Raises Hopes of Officials Read a State Farm Press Release on the settlement agreement....

As the April 15th income tax return filing deadline approaches, if you’re finding yourself facing financial problems that may make it difficult or impossible for you to meet your tax obligations, help is available from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a number of national and state-level organizations that offer free or low-cost assistance for taxpayers. According to a recent IRS News Release, “in addition to new credits, deductions and exclusions, the IRS is taking steps to help people who owe back taxes....

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has concluded that Houston’s bail system is unconstitutional. The decision affirms a district court’s findings in a class action lawsuit alleging that Harris County’s bail bond practices violated the Due Process and Equal Protection rights of indigent defendants The court’s opinion paints a detailed picture of Harris County’s bail practices. The county’s court system routinely set secured bail amounts according a schedule with minimal regard for a defendant’s ability to pay....