| Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure |
|
| A person or company unable to pay debts may declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legal process in which the financial affairs of the debtor (a person or a company) are placed in the hands of the bankruptcy court. The process is intended to protect the creditors of the debtor and assure their equal treatment. More... |
|
|
| Eyewitness Identification Evidence |
|
| While very dramatic at trial, eyewitness evidence can be unreliable. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on the accuracy of eyewitness identification. Some social scientists estimate that erroneous eyewitness identification is responsible for a large percentage of wrongful convictions. However, jurors tend to believe that eyewitness testimony is accurate. This article discusses the factors that affect the accuracy of eyewitness identification and what the courts are doing to reduce the number of wrongful convictions. More... |
|
|
| Grand Juries |
|
| A grand jury's primary function is to listen to the evidence presented by the prosecutor and decide if someone should be indicted for a crime. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that all federal criminal charges must be brought by a grand jury indictment. About half the states use grand juries. The grand jury also has broad power to investigate crimes. Some states permit grand juries to investigate corruption, organized crime, and the alleged misconduct of public officials. An investigative grand jury has the power to subpoena witnesses. More... |
|
|
| Dismissals and Reinstatements of Civil Lawsuits |
|
| The law allows the plaintiff (the person suing) to dismiss his/her lawsuit after it has been filed. In addition, the court has authority to order dismissal of a lawsuit under certain circumstances. This article discusses voluntary dismissals by the plaintiff, involuntary dismissals by the court, and the circumstances under which a lawsuit can be reinstated. More... |
|
|
| Privacy and Public Access to Court Records |
|
| Court records include the case file of a lawsuit, records of any hearings, and information the court or clerk court prepares in connection with any judicial proceeding. A court's management information and data (budgets, reports, and statistics) are also considered court records. Since computers make it easy to gather and store information, many courts have developed databases of information. This database is also considered a court record. More... |
|
|