Silver Spring Criminal Defense Law Blog

The image of a psychopath strikes fear into the hearts of many people in Rockville. The idea that someone would do whatever he or she wants, regardless of who gets hurt, is indeed frightening, but there is some question as to whether psychopaths can be held totally responsible for their actions. After a recent article documented psychopathic tendencies in children as young as three, it calls into question whether a psychopath's actions can truly be helped.

Scientists who have spent years studying psychopaths have noted that those diagnosed with this condition's amygdalas don't function at the same level as non-sociopathic people. In addition, they have much lower levels of cortisol, both of which prevent them from feeling shame, fear and the other emotions that keep most people from committing violent crimes.

Each state has its own rules on when a case becomes too old to prosecute, and while Maryland's laws may be different than any other state's, many people may believe that there is just a point where evidence would be too stale to have a fair trial. Whether that is at the five-year mark, 10 years or 20 years, there are some states that allow prosecutors to bring a sexual abuse case 43 years after the incident apparently took place.

It is a cornerstone of the American legal system that anyone accused of a crime will have a fair trial and will only be convicted if the prosecution can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant did what it said he or she did. Much of this depends on credible, trustworthy evidence. The longer the time period between an alleged incident and a trial, the more likely it will be that evidence will become stale and witnesses will be harder to find or it will be difficult for them to clearly remember what they saw or heard.

What would you do if police brought you in for questioning and said that they had forensic evidence that placed you at the scene of a crime? While many people in Montgomery County may think that forensic evidence is a way to accurately determine who is guilty and who is not, a report by The Washington Post calls into question just how true that is.

Imagine being on trial for a sexual assault. Your emotions would be running high and you would be extremely nervous and anxious. It doesn't matter that you didn't do it, you are still scared that you have been accused and are being questioned for a very serious crime. Now, the police insist that you take a polygraph test to see if you were lying about not being involved in the crime.

Anyone in Maryland who has been stopped by police, arrested and spent the night in jail knows how embarrassing it can be to deal with a drunk driving charge. Just because a Montgomery County resident has been arrested, however, doesn't mean he or she has been or ever will be convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol; a mug shot doesn't mean a person is guilty of anything. Sadly, not everyone realizes this and many websites are now capitalizing on it.

Even if someone hasn't done anything wrong, it may be embarrassing to have one's picture on the internet with a criminal charge. For people in sensitive jobs, such as teachers, there is a huge pressure to remove any trace of an arrest and many Internet entrepreneurs are putting mug shots online with the apparent goal to charge exorbitant prices to remove the picture.