Explore research-backed legal explainers written in plain English, citing official federal statutes and court decisions.
A criminal record is an official government registry documenting an individual's contacts with law enforcement and the courts, including arrests, charges, dispositions, and convictions.
Expungement is a court-ordered legal process through which an arrest or criminal conviction record is erased, sealed, or permanently removed from public view.
Self-defense is an affirmative legal defense that justifies an individual's use of reasonable force to protect themselves or others against an imminent, unlawful threat of harm.
Felonies are serious crimes generally punishable by more than one year in prison; misdemeanors are lesser offenses usually capped at one year in a local jail.
After an arrest, a person is booked, brought before a judge, informed of the charges, and given a chance at release on bail while the case moves toward a plea or trial.
Miranda rights are the warnings police must give before questioning someone in custody, including the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer.
Probable cause is the Fourth Amendment standard that requires police to have trustworthy facts showing a fair probability of a crime before arresting someone or getting a search warrant.