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If you’re curious about what happens during a preliminary hearing, you’ve come to the right place. Also known as a “trial before the trial” or a mini-trial, a preliminary hearing is typically the second step in criminal court proceedings. It also may be one of the most important steps, as it helps determine whether or not the prosecutors have enough evidence to send a defendant to trial. If a defendant is not being charged with a crime that requires a grand jury indictment, the first step in criminal proceedings is the arraignment....

Yahoo has agreed to pay $50 million to users affected by data breaches in 2013 and 2014, finally bringing to a close one of the darkest days in Yahoo’s history. The settlement was filed with the United States District Court in California, and should be approved at a hearing on November 29. The settlement will compensate an estimated 200 million affected individuals. In addition,Yahoo must provide a minimum of two years of free credit monitoring to those involved....

A Texas judge sentenced Ethan Couch to a tentative 720-day jail sentence related to the “Affluenza” teen’s probation conditions stemming from his 2013 drunken driving accident that killed four people and injured two more. Couch celebrated his last teenage birthday in the maximum security Lon Evans Correctional Center in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, and could spend his remaining teenage days there. But District Judge Wayne Salvant did give Couch’s attorneys two weeks to come up with an argument to reduce the jail sentence....

Joe and Teresa Giudice, stars of the reality TV series “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” were both sentenced to federal prison Thursday, though they won’t be imprisoned at the same time. Joe Giudice was sentenced to 41 months behind bars and ordered to pay $414,000 in restitution, reports New York’s WCBS-TV. Giudice may also face deportation at the end of his prison term; although Giudice has lived in the United States since he was a child, he was born in Italy and was never granted U....

For many people, a car is like a traveling storage bin. But there are some things you shouldn’t keep in your car – unless you want potential thieves to purloin your personal information. It’s generally easier to break into someone’s car to steal something than to break into a home, so you want to make sure that your valuables and items with personal data are locked up in a place where criminals can’t easily access....

Funny girl Amanda Bynes was arrested early Friday morning in West Hollywood on suspicion of driving under the influence. The 26-year-old was attempting to pass a cop car just before being pulled over. It seems she actually hit the police cruiser. As of this writing, she’s still in jail, being held until someone picks her up and pays her $5,000 bail. Amanda Bynes’ arrest comes as no surprise to fans of the former Nickelodeon star....

Regional air carrier American Eagle has been fined $900,000 in one of the first moves enforcing new regulations aimed a curbing long tarmac delays. The airline must pay $650,000 in 30 days. The remainder of the fine can be credited for refunds, vouchers, and frequent flyer mile awards for passengers who were on the 15 flights that sparked the fines. Last April, the Department of Transportation created a new rule meant to ease the frustration of harried passengers everywhere: a cap on tarmac delays....

An Ohio woman faces federal charges after she allegedly used Facebook to hire a hitman to randomly kill “someone wearing fur.” Meredith Lowell, 27, of Cleveland Heights, is charged with solicitation to commit murder in connection with her Facebook posts and emails sent to an undercover federal agent, The Plain Dealer reports. Lowell, using the name Anne Lowery on Facebook, posted that she wanted “to find someone who is willing to kill someone wearing fur,” and would pay $850 for the hit, according to an affidavit....

Many of us face drug tests when we apply for a job, even though it might not always be legal. Some states are drug testing welfare recipients with little to show for it but the bill. And athletes are drug tested seemingly around the clock, and can even be suspended for taking legal substances. But what about police officers? Surely, the men and women we trust to make snap judgments in life-and-death scenarios are tested regularly for any drug or substance that might affect those decisions, right?...

A new Maryland legislation that would impose stiffer fines and penalties on negligent drivers in bicycle accidents has once again highlighted the importance of bicycle safety. The recently-passed statute would impose a fine of up to $5,000 and three years in jail. Prior to this new legislation, drivers only faced a fine of up to $300 and some points on their license. Around 20 other states have already adopted similar punishments and fees as the new Maryland legislation....

Citigroup Inc. has reached an agreement with California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to settle allegations that the company engaged in the illegal practice of “sweeping” positive balances from Citibank customers’ credit card accounts. Under the settlement agreement, Citigroup will pay out more than $18 million in customer refunds and civil penalties. A News Release from the California Office of the Attorney General states that Citigroup’s practices netted the company more than $14 million from over 53,000 customers nationwide....

For the last six years, law enforcement officials have been accessing a giant AT&T database through an anti-narcotics program called the Hemisphere Project. The project differs from the National Security Agency’s phone tracking in a couple of major ways. Here’s what the Hemisphere Project is all about and what legal concerns it’s raising. The Hemisphere Project is a counternarcotics partnership between federal and local drug officials and AT&T, according to The New York Times....

Najibullah Zazi conspired with other terror suspects to used weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the United States, according to an indictment and related court filing. The Afghan native and legal U.S. resident was arrested last weekend after having been found with notes on his computer about how to make explosive Triacetone Triperoxide (‘TATP’) using “hydrogen peroxide, acetone, and a strong acid (such as hydrochloric acid....

“Senseless” is how authorities are describing the death of Bobby Tillman. The Georgia teenager was killed after four teenagers allegedly attacked him for no reason outside a Atlanta house party. One of the teenagers allegedly told his three friends that he would hit the next person that walked by. Bobby Tillman soon passed the boys, who all joined the attack, stomping and beating Tillman. Four teenagers Horace Coleman, 19, Emanuel Boykins, 18, Quantez Mallory, 18 and Tracen Franklin, 19, face murder charges....

A stiletto killing in self-defense – where to begin with this grisly fashion faux pas? A research professor of women’s health issues at the University of Houston was found dead early Sunday, after he was stabbed with a stiletto heel. Alf Stefan Andersson, 59, and his girlfriend, Ana Lilia Trujillo, 44, were apparently fighting that morning. When officers arrived at Andersson’s condo, Andersson was already dead with about 10 puncture wounds to his head – some as deep as an inch and a half....

Authorities at a West Texas border checkpoint say they’ve found a significant amount of drugs and a gun on rapper Nelly’s tour bus. Nelly pleads that he knew nothing about the drugs and he was not charged. Instead, one of his staff members admitted to owning the drugs and gun and was arrested, reports The Associated Press. The arrest happened at a border checkpoint near Sierra Blanca. You may have heard of this particular checkpoint before because other celebrities have famously been busted there; including, Willie Nelson, Snoop Dog, Fiona Apple, and Armie Hammer, reports the AP....

Former President Gerald R. Ford died Tuesday, December 26, 2006 at age 93. Born on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska, Gerald Ford served as the nation’s 38th President from 1974-1977 and took office in the aftermath of Watergate. You can find more information on the life and passing of President Ford at the following: President Bush Extends Condolences Coverage from CNN.com Information on President Ford from Whitehouse.gov Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum Update: President Bush has declared Tuesday, January 2, 2007 as a National Day of Mourning in remembrance of President Ford...

It’s not very often that we see a deputy prosecutor on the other side of the law. In the case of deputy prosecutor Kirmille Welbon, it comes with a set of facts even Jerry Springer couldn’t dream up. Indianapolis metro police were called to attend to a domestic disturbance involving the deputy prosecutor this past Sunday, WTHR.com reports. Marion County deputy prosecutor Kirmille Welbon allegedly showed up at her alleged lover Devann Johnson’s doorstep....

Holly Van Voast is a public nudity advocate in New York. She is so deeply entrenched in her beliefs that she stripped down in court. Why was she in front of a judge in the first place? She was summoned to court for stripping in the middle of Grand Central. When she arrived at her hearing, she took off her black coat and revealed her breasts in the middle of court....

With the holiday shopping season in full effect, many Americans will need some layaway tips. Layaway plans are often considered by many shoppers who are in a financial crunch – and why not? There’s no interest, since there’s no money borrowed, and you get to pay for your purchases over a set period of time. However, layaway may not be the best plan for you. Before you turn to a layaway plan this year, here are the top five layaway tips for the holidays:...