| MISTAKE OF FACT AS A DEFENSE |
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| The defense of mistake of fact is used when a defendant is accused of committing a particular crime and the defendant admits that he or she committed another crime, which other crime is different from the particular crime and is not a lesser-included offense of the particular crime. The defense is based on the defendant's belief that he or she was committing another crime, which crime is less serious than the crime with which the defendant is charged. More... |
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| Criminal Law Basics |
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| A criminal case arises when either the federal or state government seeks to punish an individual for an act that is a crime. Whereas a civil case typically deals with a dispute over rights and duties that individuals and entities owe to one another. More... |
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| FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING HOSTAGE-TAKING |
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| Although the policy of the federal government is that most hostage-taking offenses within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States should be handled by state and local authorities, there are situations in which the federal government may be involved in prosecuting such offenses. These situations include the taking of a federal official or an international guest as a hostage, a demand against the United States regarding the hostage-taking, or when international terrorists are the perpetrators. More... |
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| INTOXICATION AS A DEFENSE |
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| Intoxication is defined as a change in a person's mental or physical capacity as a result of the introduction of any substance into the person's body, regardless of whether the substance is alcohol or a drug. Voluntary intoxication is when a person voluntarily places himself or herself in an intoxicated condition. Voluntary intoxication is generally not a defense to the commission of a crime, even if it makes a person unaware of his or her surroundings, makes him or her unconscious, or gives him or her no memory or understanding of his or her offense. More... |
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| Mortgage Fraud |
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| Mortgage fraud has become a more prevalent crime in the past few years. In the last two to three years the number of mortgage companies has increased at a rate of at least 50%. As a result of the increase in the number of mortgage companies, mortgage brokers seem to be engaging in more and more fraudulent types of conduct. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has cited the increase in the number of cases involving fraud and mortgage brokers. More... |
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