Dean & Barrett, lawyers in Opelika, AL, Alabama

Wiretaps and Electronic Surveillance Devices

Under the United States Code wiretaps are permitted after a proper application has been made for their usage. A wiretap is defined as a form of electronic surveillance whereupon law enforcement officers listen to phone conversations or other communications of certain individuals. States have enacted their own statutes that cover the procedures and issuance of permits to conduct a wiretap.More...

DEFENSE OF A THIRD PERSON

A defendant is entitled to use force or deadly force against another person in order to protect a third person from the other person. The defendant must show that he or she reasonably believed that the use of force was necessary to protect the third person. More...

Surveillance Changes under the PATRIOT Act

The PATRIOT Act provides federal and international agencies with the ability to track and intercept oral, written, and electronic communications. More...

RELIEF FROM JUDGMENTS REGARDING COMPETENCY TO STAND TRIAL

A defendant does not generally have a right to appeal a judgment from a hearing on the defendant's competency to stand trial. The defendant only has a right to appeal his or her conviction for the offense with which he or she was charged. More...

REQUESTS FOR JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Both the prosecution and a defendant have a right to request that certain instructions be submitted to a jury when a trial court charges the jury. A request for the instructions must be made in writing and must be presented to the trial court prior to the trial court's charge to the jury. The request may also be dictated to a court reporter in the presence of the trial court and counsel for both parties.More...