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Most people believe they could never be convicted of a crime they did not commit. They believe that if they were falsely accused, the "system" would discover that they were not guilty and the charges would be dismissed.
State will retry man whose conviction had been overturned
A man whose conviction was thrown out by the Missouri Supreme Court will be retried, according to prosecutors, who now claim they have DNA evidence to obtain a conviction for the murder and rape of two sisters in 1991.
The risks of sex offender registration violations
Sex offenses are unlike most criminal charges in Missouri. If an individual is required to register as a sex offender, the registry can become the worst penalty of the offense. This is because this requirement may follow an individual long after they have served their time and have been released from incarceration.
Fogle plea deal: better or worse than average?
Sex crimes involving children are different. They instantly invoke a fear in any parent, who thinks, "What if it were my child?" And that fear has fueled the draconian sentences that await anyone convicted of a sex crime involving minors.
Is S.590 really the balanced legislation some say it is?
In the ongoing conversation about sexual assault on college campuses, two groups have risen above the others. On one side, there are those who believe that lawmakers need to do more to protect the rights of students and victims. They believe that tougher legislation is the answer as it will better address instances of sexual assault and violence by giving victims a better sense that justice has been served.
Case shows affect campus sexual assault claim has on accused
When conversations turn to the topic of sexual assault, most people focus on the impact such events have on victims. They often talk about the psychological impact as well as the social stigma that accompanies the act. The conversation typically then turns to the topic of justice and how it can be awarded to victims.
FBI admits flaws in decades of testimonies used in convictions
A few weeks ago, we started a conversation with our Columbia readers about evidence that is gathered using forensic science. Even though society as a whole might revere forensic evidence as the nail in the coffin for any criminal case, as our more frequent readers may remember from our post, new studies are pointing out the flaws inherent in the field of forensic science. These flaws, as you can imagine, result in wrongful convictions that may be difficult to appeal.
Is forensic science really as infallible as we're led to believe?
As so many of our Columbia readers know, forensic evidence can have a very significant impact on any criminal case. Many people around Missouri and across the United States consider this type of evidence to be perfect -- infallible. Oftentimes, when it is presented during trial, people take the scientist's word -- and their evidence -- at face value. Rarely ever do people question whether or not the evidence could be misleading or worse, entirely faulty.
Were you falsely accused of a crime?
In today's society, all of us want to believe the victim when an alleged crime has occurred. However, not all accusations are true. Despite the well-known phrase, "Innocent until proven guilty," many of us will probably agree that in most cases, this simply isn't how the public or the media often view accused criminals.
Campus sexual assault policies and their affect on the accused
Properly addressing complaints of sexual assault on college campuses has become a hot-button topic over the last few years, with both sides weighing in heavily on what they think campus administrators should do about the issue.
