Newsletters
Family Abuse Protective Orders
Protective orders are orders issued by a judge to protect a victim of domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, or intimidation. A protective order can only be used against someone related to the victim or with whom the victim has had an intimate relationship. This would include a spouse, sibling, parent, or boyfriend/girlfriend.
Domestic Violence, Firearms, and the Courts
Domestic violence against women is increasingly common in the United States. The United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, estimates that at least one million violent crimes are committed against former spouses or intimate partners each year. The vast majority of these victims are women. Prior domestic violence and the abuser's access to a firearm greatly increase the likelihood that a female intimate partner will become a homicide victim.
Racial Profiling and the Criminal Justice System
Racial profiling refers to the law enforcement practice of using race as a factor in deciding who is a suspicious person that should be investigated. Racial profiling is illegal.
Dismissal of Appeals
Both the plaintiff (the person suing) and the defendant (the person being sued) have a right to appeal to a higher court if they think there was a legal error in the trial. Generally, a notice of appeal has to be filed within 30 days after the trial court enters a judgment in the lawsuit. Most states have a two-tier system for appellate review of a judgment. The federal court system also has two different levels of appellate review. The appeal is first filed in an intermediate appellate state or federal court or court of appeals. After the court of appeals reviews the judgment, a further appeal is possible to a court of last resort, the state supreme court for state court appeals or the Supreme Court of the United States for federal court appeals.
Personal Representatives
When a person dies, state law establishes legal procedures for settling the deceased person's estate. This process is called probate. If the person has a will, he/she may name someone to serve as personal representative. A personal representative is the executor or administrator of a deceased person's estate. In some states, the terms executor and administrator are used in place of personal representative. If no personal representative is specified by will or if the person dies intestate (without a will), the probate court will appoint someone to serve as personal representative.
