Hopkinsville Kentucky Criminal Law Blog

Kentucky's juvenile justice system is a model for others

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Criminal Defense on Sunday, October 8, 2017.

People who are facing a first-time arrest usually aren't hardened criminals who deserve the proverbial book to be thrown at them. Instead, some of these people need to have someone redirect them back toward a productive life that isn't riddled with crime. This is true for young defendants, including those in the juvenile justice system.

The purpose of the juvenile justice system is to help rehabilitate the juvenile. This doesn't always happen. In fact, 91 percent of juveniles who are sentenced to detention won't have any form of rehabilitation while they are behind bars. For these juveniles, the system is actually failing them.

Understand the right to trial by a jury of your peers

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Felonies on Friday, October 6, 2017.

One of the rights of some criminal defendants is having a trial before a jury of their peers. Many people think that this Sixth Amendment right is present in all criminal cases, but this isn't the case. Defendants who aren't facing at least six months in prison aren't automatically afforded the right to a jury trial.

If you are considering pushing your case to a jury trial, you should understand that a jury of your peers doesn't mean that you are going to have a jury full of people who are the same age, race, economic status or gender as you. Instead, the interpretation of a jury of your peers means that the jury will be comprised of people who represent a cross-section of your community.

Drugged driving is a complex issue that can lead to charges

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

Young adults who are 18 to 25 years old have the distinction of being the age group most likely to drive after drinking or doing drugs. The likelihood of this happening goes down for people who are 26 or older. The shocking facts about drugged driving don't stop there.

In a study done in 2014, 10 million people who responded noted that they drove after doing drugs. The shocking things about this fact are that the respondents were as young as 12 years old, and the question only took the previous year into account.

Don't make serious mistakes during the upcoming party season

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, September 22, 2017.

Fall is here and that means that Halloween parties are just around the corner. Football season is also here, which means that you might be heading to parties for upcoming games. In all of these cases, you need to make sure that you aren't drinking if you have to drive home. A drunk driving arrest is something that is certainly going to ruin the good time that you are having.

We understand that things sometimes happen that are beyond your control. If you are facing a drunk driving charge after a night with your friends, your primary focus right now needs to be determining how you are going to address the charges that you are facing.

Give your felony charge the attention it deserves

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Felonies on Thursday, September 14, 2017.

Facing felony charges is something that frightens many people, especially if you think about the horrible consequences that can occur. It is imperative that you take the time to learn about the defense options that you have. You might be surprised at some of the options that you have.

We know that you probably have some concerns that you want to discuss. This is understandable. We try to work with you to make sure that you can make a decision based on the circumstances of the case. Of course, we want to get started on the defense strategy as quickly as possible so you shouldn't waste time getting your defense moving once you know you are facing charges.

Know your rights when there is a lineup involved in your case

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, September 7, 2017.

The criminal justice system sets very specific rights for people who are facing charges. These individuals must make sure that their rights are being respected or they might end up being railroaded. One of the areas that some people might not realize is included in those in which the defendant's counsel must be present is the lineup.

On television and in the movies, you see random people walk into a room while the frightened witness points out who they say committed the crime. Oftentimes, these shows only depict the detectives and police officers there with the witness who is doing the identification. This isn't how it must be when this happens outside of TV land.

Take the discovery process seriously

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, August 31, 2017.

There are many steps to the criminal justice process that people might look over when they are thinking about their case. The discovery process is one of these; however, it is a very important part of the case since it is a chance to gather and share information.

One of the ways that the discovery process is handled is through depositions. The deposition is a question and answer session that is conducted under oath. This means that you must tell the truth during the questioning. A big difference between a deposition and a trial is that things are a bit more informal during the deposition and everything is a lot less structured.

Labor Day is near: Plan for your transportation needs now

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, August 24, 2017.

The end of the summer is almost here. With Labor Day just around the corner, people are going to be taking advantage of the long weekend to party. If this is one of the things that you are planning, make sure that you are taking the time to plan for transportation if you are going to drink alcohol.

Drinking and driving charges might put a big damper on your festive weekend. The only way to avoid facing these charges is to find a designated driver or another responsible way home if you are going to drink.

Why does the law make such a big deal about drunk driving?

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Drunk Driving on Thursday, August 17, 2017.

Almost everyone knows that drinking alcohol and then driving is illegal. The reason for this is that drunk drivers put everyone on the road with them at risk of being involved in an accident that can be fatal or lead to severe injuries.

There are several different impacts that alcohol has on your body. Understanding these might help you to realize just how dangerous it is to drink and drive.

Explore the possible defenses for domestic violence charges

On behalf of Michael J. Thompson, Attorney at Law posted in Domestic Violence on Friday, August 11, 2017.

As we recently discussed, the warning signs of domestic abuse are sometimes present in criminal cases. For those who face domestic violence charges, the outcome of these cases can have a major, far-reaching impact on lives.

One thing that you need to realize is that domestic violence allegations are considered to be violent charges. This means that a conviction can have a huge effect on your job, your family and your future.