Criminal Defense Stories

 Mandatory reporting law establish a legally enforceable duty for those who have contact with vulnerable populations to report to state and local authorities when mistreatment or abuse of those populations is suspected or confirmed. While these laws, and the populations they cover, vary by state, they generally include children, the disabled, and the elderly. Some states also assign this reportable duty to abuse between intimate partners. These laws typically cover neglect, as well as physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse.       While those individuals mandated to report also vary by state, they generally include childcare providers, clergy, coaches, counselors, healthcare providers, law enforcement, principals, and teachers. In addition to their obligation to report mistreatment of vulnerable patients, healthcare professionals are also required to report certain infectious diseases deemed to be public health hazards to state and local authorities. Under What Circumstances

 A rape shield law is a law that limits the ability to introduce evidence or cross-examine rape complainants about their past sexual behaviour. The term also refers to a law that prohibits the publication of the identity of an alleged rape victim. The first rape shield law was passed in the U.S. state of Michigan in 1974, and within two decades almost every U.S. state had enacted one. Although the laws were popular in the United States, they also drew critics, who sometimes charged that the laws violated a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to confront his accuser. In the United States, some opponents claimed that such laws were too onerous for the defense and violated civil liberties, such as the freedom of speech. Rape shield laws may apply to both federal and state criminal and civil rape cases except in limited circumstances, such as when the consent of the accuser can be shown or when there is a shared history between the accuser and the accused. The defense may also be required t

 When you’re convicted of a sex offense in Michigan, one of the consequences is that you may be required to register as sex offender. Depending on the circumstances of your conviction, this designation can follow you for years — or even for life. Sex Offender Registry collects the names, photographs, addresses, job information, vehicle information, and other details about convicted sex offenders living in Michigan. As of August 2015, there were nearly 42,000 registered sex offenders in the database, according to the Michigan State Police. The length of time and the frequency that someone has to register depends on the type of offense that they were convicted of.   If you’ve ever looked at the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, or researched someone who is listed as a sex offender, you probably noticed the ‘tier’ classification system. Tier I Sex Offender In Michigan:   Indecent exposure with self fondling in front of a child Possession of child sexually abusive material (child pornography