| Judicial Review of Disputed Jencks Act Materials |
| Upon a motion by the defendant, the Jencks Act requires the Government to disclose a witness's prior statement directly relating to the witness's direct testimony. It is also required that the Government must be in possession of the prior statement. There must be a direct link between the prior statement requested and the witness's direct testimony. More... |
| VIOLATION OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER |
| A person commits the offense of violation of a protective order when the protective order has been issued on behalf of a protected person and when he or she commits an act of family violence, when he or she communicates directly with the protected person or a member of the protected person's family, when he or she goes near the protected person's residence or employment, or when he or she possesses a firearm.More... |
| Criminal Law Basics |
| A criminal case arises when either the federal or state government seeks to punish an individual for an act that is a crime. Whereas a civil case typically deals with a dispute over rights and duties that individuals and entities owe to one another. More... |
| An overview of the Jencks Act |
| The Jencks Act provides that upon a motion by the defendant, the Government is required to disclose a witness's prior statements that are in the Government's possession at the time the request is made. In order for the Government to be compelled to disclose a witness's prior statements, the statements must relate to the subject mater of the direct testimony of the witness. Under the Jencks Act, the Government has a duty to preserve all statements that are required to be produced. The Government should not destroy the statements before they are required to be destroyed, usually until after the culmination of the defendant's case, including an appeal. More... |
| Brady Materials and Impeachment Evidence |
| Certain types of impeachment evidence are required to be disclosed by the Government to the defendant upon the defendant's request. The disclosure of evidence by the Government upon the defendant's request is commonly referred to as disclosure of Brady materials. Brady materials must be known to the Government and must be material to the defendant's case to require disclosure. More... |