| DEADLY CONDUCT & TERRORISTIC THREATS |
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| person commits the offense of deadly conduct when he or she recklessly engages in conduct that places another person in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. This offense is a firearm offense. Examples of this offense are discharging a firearm at or in the direction of another person, into an occupied vehicle, or in a residential area. The person does not need to believe that the firearm was loaded in order to be guilty of this offense. More... |
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| Loan Sharking or Usury |
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| Loan sharking is defined as when a borrower is charged interest above an established legal rate. Depending on the state, lenders typically cannot charge more than 60% interest per year. Loan sharking is also commonly referred to as usury. More... |
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| ALIBI DEFENSE |
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| An alibi means that a defendant was at a place at the time of an offense where he or she could not have participated in the offense. Although an alibi defense is not an affirmative defense, it does involve the negation of an element of the prosecution's case against a defendant. The defendant does not have the burden of proving his or her alibi. The prosecution has the burden of proving that the defendant committed the offense. The alibi defense contradicts the allegations of an indictment or an information against the defendant and casts doubt about whether the prosecution has met its burden of proof. More... |
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| DISPENSING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES |
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| practitioner commits a criminal offense if he or she unlawfully dispenses a controlled substance. A practitioner is a physician, a dentist, a veterinarian, a pharmacist, or any other person who is permitted to use controlled substances in his or her profession. Dispensing is the transfer or delivery of a controlled substance by a practitioner.
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| HUNG JURY |
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A jury is required to render a unanimous verdict in a criminal trial. If the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, the jury is considered to be a hung jury. A trial court must declare a mistrial in the event of a hung jury.
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