Woman Kills Her Boyfriend and Is Not Prosecuted Under Colorado Law Azura Lakin has dodged a bullet and avoided prosecution for murder under Colorado's "Make My Day Law". Azura Lakin is 21 years of age. On October 2, 2011, she had a fight with her boyfriend. During the fight, she slashed his throat with a broken bottle. Her boyfriend Shawn Cassidy, … [Read more...]
Go – kart DWI, A First
Can you receive a driving while intoxicated (DWI) criminal charge for driving a go - kart? The answer to that question is yes. Lennon Safati, age 18, has been charged with a felony for driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and other criminal charges. Lennon violated New York's Leandra's Law. He was driving a go - kart while … [Read more...]
Miranda Warnings as Applied to Children
How old must a child be before he or she can understand the Miranda warnings? The Supreme Court of the United States, in the case of J.D.B. vs. North Carolina, dealt with this issue. The court, in this case, rendered a ruling that police must take a suspect's age into consideration when evaluating whether to give the Miranda warnings before … [Read more...]
Nassau County Loses Marijuana Evidence
Recently, Nassau County, New York lost two bags of marijuana. The bags of marijuana had been seized as evidence by police officers. Due to problems with Nassau County's crime laboratory, the marijuana was being shipped to a laboratory in Pennsylvania for drug testing. The shipment was carried by Federal Express. Unfortunately, the marijuana never … [Read more...]
Gravity Knife Not Admitted into Evidence, Case Dismissed
In a recent case in New York County, Judge Martino, sitting in the Family Court, dismissed a juvenile proceeding. The juvenile was walking in February in what the police referred to as a high crime area. Police officers saw the juvenile walking alone. He was wearing a winter jacket and had a black ski mask. When the juvenile saw the police … [Read more...]
The Hamster Killer
Monique Smith was recently arrested at her home in Bushwick. The arrest was conducted by law enforcement officers of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The criminal charges against Ms. Smith are that she killed the family’s hamster and threw it violently against a wall. Theresa Smith's mother had stated she watched her … [Read more...]
