Portland Criminal Law Blog
Activist say lack of minority judges and prosecutors bad for defendants
Residents of Oregon and the rest of the United States are asking tough questions regarding the treatment of its African American citizens at the hands of the judicial system. But while most of the attention is aimed directly at police forces across the nation,...
ATV-motorcycle collision injures two, alcohol a factor
Two men were injured in the Oregon dunes after a third man crashed into their motorcycle with an ATV. All three men are presumed to have been intoxicated at the time of the incident. The crash occurred on the evening of June 29 when the three men from Washington were...
Teenager killed in alleged Oregon drunk driving crash
Police in Oregon believe that excessive speed and alcohol impairment were the causes of a one-car accident on the night of June 20 that claimed the life of a teenage girl. The teenage boy who was behind the wheel of the car involved faces a raft of misdemeanor and...
When new evidence can affect your conviction
Prosecutors build their cases on evidence. If that evidence is incomplete, however, they may not be giving the jury the full picture. When new evidence comes to light, even after a conviction, the court may grant the defendant a new trial. How is new evidence...
How does juror misconduct impact the outcome of a trial?
Everyone accused of a crime has the right to a fair trial, and juror conduct is vital in protecting that right. However, if jurors engage in misconduct, the outcome of a trial will not be fair to either side. What is juror misconduct, and how can it influence the...
Common types of domestic abuse
Individuals in Oregon and other parts of the U.S. are growing increasingly aware that domestic abuse can occur in several different forms. Whether the patterns are physical, emotional or come in another form, abuse cycles often start with controlling behaviors that...
Faked evidence can complicate a trial
Oregon criminal defendants face a growing threat in the form of deepfakes. Those who spend time on Twitter and Facebook are well familiar with the quality of fake recordings. They have improved to the point where the viewer, often, cannot tell the real from the fake....
Field drug tests can be faulty
When Oregon residents are searched, there is a test that reveals whether substances that they are found with are illegal narcotics. However, there are problems with this test, even leading to multiple drug convictions being overturned. These cheap tests are causing...
Life challenges you may face after conviction
While it can be intimidating and overwhelming, it’s important to recognize that effects of a criminal conviction don’t stop after the conviction or even after you fulfill your penalties. Instead, they last a lifetime. A conviction can change many parts of your life....
Causes of a wrongful conviction
Wrongful convictions have been a lasting problem in our criminal justice system. The situations vary from case to case and sometimes a person can be falsely convicted on purpose. It is important to know what the leading causes of this act are and how wrongful...
