‘Making a Murderer’: Is Steven Avery Innocent or Guilty?
Over the Christmas and New Year break, many of us spent precious time with loved ones, eating, drinking, and being merry. Others were glued to their TV screens, binge-watching the Netflix true crime series, Making a Murderer, which was released...
Why Some Lawyers Win Cases While Others Waste Your Money
Criminal lawyers are often criticised for adjourning cases from court date to court date, while doing very little in between. They are accused of ‘dragging cases out’ and having little interest in getting charges dropped at an early stage in...
How Frank Sinatra Got Himself into Hot Water
Sexual assault occurs when there is no consent to sex - but did you know sex with a consenting woman was once a crime, if a man used ‘seduction’! Seduction was defined as a man inducing an unmarried woman of...
How Inmates Made the Work of Prison Staff Easier
Imprisonment that focuses on containment rather than rehabilitation is not generally successful at reducing reoffending; with about two-thirds of sentenced Australian inmates having previously served time behind bars. As prison populations grow, there has been an increasing emphasis on making...
Man Narrowly Escapes Prison for Assault at Newtown Pub
A man who assaulted a transgender woman at a Newtown pub has narrowly escaped prison time. Alexis Ozanne is one of two men charged with assaulting Stephanie McCarthy at a Newtown pub. He pleaded guilty to ‘affray’ and ‘assault occasioning...
‘Sniff Off’! Facebook Page Informs Users of Drug Dog Locations
Each year, thousands of people are caught possessing drugs by police and sniffer dogs stationed at drug ‘hot spots’, including music festivals, licensed venues and certain train stations. In most cases, the drugs are for personal use and the quantities...
Should the Age of Criminal Responsibility be Raised?
On the 12th of February 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was kidnapped and cruelly tortured to death after going missing during a shopping trip with his mother. A post-mortem examination revealed the young child had suffered extensive injuries as a result...
Where are they now? Defendants in famous criminal law cases
When examining the criminal law for principles and precedents, it can be easy to forget that each case involved real human beings. These individuals often have interesting lives beyond their landmark cases, and their criminal proceedings can have a lasting...
Judges Naming and Shaming Offenders
We have previously written about creative and unusual punishments handed down by judges, including Judge Michael Cicconetti who forced shoplifters to wear signs in front of the businesses they stole from. Cicconetti is well known for his unconventional sentences. In...
Jury Finds that ‘Respect the Flag’ Group are a Criminal Gang
It’s an unfortunate day when a child’s birthday party ends in adults on the street with weapons drawn. In one such party in Douglasville, Georgia, which was attended predominantly by African-American people, the celebrations were interrupted when a group called...
