When the first cars and most important the mass production of cars were invented, no one could even imagine how big this industry will be. It took about hundred years and the cars rapidly multiplied in numbers, becoming an important element of our everyday life. Unfortunately they became not only a useful thing, but also made their own death toll and turned even the smallest road a pretty dangerous place. The worst part of the accidents is definitely driving under the influence of better to say drunk driving, as you will see in this article even the smallest changes in laws on drunk driving can lead to heated debates.The first rules regulating the driving under the influence were set with the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69, also known as Bill C-150. The bill made it a “per se” offence to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) in excess of milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood. Also the Bill stated that a refusal of a police officer’s demand to provide a breath sample is an offence too. Still the drivers managed to handle small over the norm alcohol level with “two-beer” defense. The idea of this defense is following, people accused of driving with more than the norm set by the law (.08 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood) would often argue they had consumed just two beers. Also a popular statement is that the last beer was consumed not long before the breath test, so there is more alcohol in their breath than in their blood.An often used driver “two-beer” defense has been virtually abolished by a new federal legislation. The new changes, that are part of the federal government’s Tackling Violent Crime Act, kept the right to question the breathalyzer results, but only if the person provides the court with technical evidence proving the equipment was malfunctioning or wasn’t operated properly.Some lawyers stated that the new legislation is unconstitutional and they will appear before the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto to present their arguments. They try to resolve thing quickly, before the government can get on with the business of prosecuting impaired drivers. The main argument is that with this change divers will be unable to protect themselves if the equipment is really damaged or malfunctioning. Usually drivers don’t know much about breathalyzers and they won’t be able to present valid evidence to the court. Also the information of the breath machines, including maintenance records, specs and the manufacturers’ manual are kept secret and not available to casual driver who is stopped on the street. This turns a useful tool into a one-way guilty ticket, in case of malfunctioning.On the other side this change is positive for the police officers. Usually they are in a difficult situation. Some of the officers stated that they rely more on temporary license suspensions and not on the charges against drivers slightly over the limit, because the “two-beer” defense can easily beat these charges.

Possession of explosives, aggravated assault, burglary, carjacking, drug crimes, drunk driving, and unlawful use of credit card are all criminal charges and filed in a criminal court. No criminal charge is small but being charged with murder, whether an attempted first degree murder, accidental murder on purpose or without purpose, or homicide – they are all very severe crimes and dealt by the US Criminal Law with due carefulness and gravity. Sometimes the law might get the wrong person i.e. someone who is accused of a crime but has not actually committed it. It is said that the law is blind. However, in our beautiful land of freedom, liberty and justice, truth does prevail and both the guilty and innocent do get justice.

For instance, Joe Taylor, who was charged with murder, was released last week after a five-year legal battle. A minimum sentence for a murder case is 20 years. Her supporters included a state legislator and a criminal attorney. At some point of time, these same people tried to dead bolt her for life. But when the case started unfolding, slowly and gradually, the people who were dead against her came to her rescue and defended her in every way they could. And the result is that she was let free a few days back.

When a person is accused of a serious criminal charge such as murder, which he or she has not committed, it becomes even more important to understand one’s rights and to have all the evidence that will help in proving the innocence of the charged.

Do you remember “Moment of Truth: Murder or Memory? – A network television movie made on a famous case defended by criminal defense attorneys John W. Callahan and Michael T. Norris. The law can go overboard and the most obvious is not always the truth – this fact is highlighted beautifully in this movie and by this case.

Evidence and documents form the basis of a good defense and missed clues become opportunities to save the accused.  The most severe penalty i.e. death is handled by the Supreme Court and only a certified Supreme Court criminal attorney can defend an accused who has been given a capital punishment.

Murder charges that are handled by criminal lawyers include:

*  Infanticide cases*  Children who are involved in murdering their parents*  Bludgeoning cases*  Circumstantial and evidence cases*  Forensics cases*  Firearm cases*  Coerced-confession cases*  Insanity defense cases*  Diminished capacity cases and many others

Finding A Legal Representative

There are many ways through which one can find lawyers for their cases. Among these means, online search option has proven to be the best. If you go online and look up a certified criminal attorney, you will come across several. Next, you should meet the criminal attorney in a one-on-one meeting. Find out if the attorney you are thinking of hiring has handled a case similar to yours in the past. Hiring a criminal attorney is a big decision and a step toward saving oneself not only from imprisonment or other such serious charges but also towards getting a reduction in the charges.

The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69 was introduced as Bill C-150 by then Minister of Justice Pierre Trudeau in the second session of the 27th Canadian Parliament on December 21, 1967. It passed third reading in the House of Commons after heated debates by a vote of 149 (119 Liberals, 18 New Democrats, 12 Progressive Conservatives) to 55 (43 Progressive Conservatives, 11 Créditistes, 1 Liberal) on May 14, 1969. It introduced major changes to the Criminal Code of Canada and it was literally a cornerstone of modern Canadian law. The bill decriminalized homosexuality, allowed abortion and contraception, and regulated lotteries, gun possession, drinking and driving offences, harassing phone calls, misleading advertising and cruelty to animals. This year it will be the 40th anniversary of the bill’s passage.Homosexuality was one of the biggest problems of the Bill-150. This change was influenced in the late 1960s by the British Parliament’s adoption of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which decriminalized homosexual acts in England and Wales. Naturally Canada wanted to follow this democratic decision. The biggest opposition was from the religious people, the Catholic Créditistes of Quebec held up debate for three weeks supported by the far-right Edmund Burke Society and the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. Still at the end homosexuality was legalized with age of consent at 21; although it was later lowered to 18.Contraception and therapeutic abortion under certain conditions were legalized by the bill. This was a step away form the influence of the Catholic Church’s moral positions on these issues, basically one more separation of the Church and State. Bill C-150 made it legal for women to get an abortion if a committee of three doctors felt the pregnancy endangered the mental, emotional or physical well-being of the mother. These changes were very important and became a stepping stone for many other freedoms and options that have altered women’s place in Canadian society. In 1988 the R. v. Morgentaler ruling, left Canada without any laws regulating abortion.A number of minor but important changes were made to gambling, gun control and driving under the influence. Before the bill small scale gambling on behalf of charities was permitted, but only Bill C-150 gave the provincial and federal governments the opportunity to use lotteries to fund worthwhile activities, the best example were the 1976 Montreal Olympics. For the first time the bill made it illegal to provide firearms to persons of “unsound mind” or criminals under prohibition orders. The term “firearm” was also expanded; non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited firearm categories were also introduced. Bill C-150 made it a “per se” offence to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) in excess of 80 mg/100 ml of blood. The refusal of a police officer’s demand to provide a breath sample was made an offence too. These are the basic rules against drunk driving now.The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1968-69 basically changed almost all the complicated and important spheres (except for maybe immigration) and solved many ethical problems, creating laws suitable for modern society.

When someone needs all the legal rights to be protected, but there is nobody to actually show the way because it is the criminal offense which has caught you in trap, then contacting a criminal law attorney would sort the matter for you to a great extent. There are several offenses that can be rated as criminal cases including the following: 

*  Aggravated battery*  Murder *  DUI defense*  Weapons charges*  Felony theft*  Burglary*  Reckless homicide*  Juvenile offenses*  Aggravated criminal sexual assault*  Sex and Internet Offenses*  DUI Cases

As a common man, you will never feel the need of a criminal law attorney. But, by any chance, if you get stuck in a criminal case, knowing a few things beforehand would really make your case run in an easier way. Here are a few FAQs related to this issue:

1. What is battery?

People generally take this word casually, but in the United States the case is not so. If a person lives in the state of Illinois she or he is said to commit a battery if intentionally and with no legal explanations bodily harm is made by means of physical contact. This happens when the contact is of provoking nature and the other person who has filed for the case does not want it. Still, if it happens that one gets involved in such a case, the law offices of Michael T. Norris, Ltd. and John W. Callahan, Ltd. are the best to be contacted because of their reputed history which explains the successfully provided representation to its various clients.

2. What are the matters that come under aggravated battery charges?

*           First, we have already discussed, which includes personal contact without the other person consent*           If deadly weapon is used or the person is masked to hide the identity*           If the harmed individual is a supervisor, instructor, or a person who is employed in any park district*           If the harmed person is an employee of the State Department of Public Aid or a County Department of Public Aid*           If the harmed person is pregnant and handicapped and much more in the list

3. Are a felony and a misdemeanor different?

In the United States, all the 50 states divide all types of crimes in two major groups, i.e., felonies and misdemeanors. The punishment sentenced to the person decides about the type of crime s/he is involved in. A criminal law attorney who is certified under law from a reputed organization would be the best person to show you the right direction at such a crucial time. Now, in case a person is sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment, it is generally categorized as a felony. In any case, it is always better if your lawyer presents your case and gives representation for you. In such a way only, you have a hope that the case will take a positive turn.

4. When can you assume for innocence?

A person is considered to be innocent till s/he is proved to be a convict. When the case comes under criminal law, one should not take the whole procedure for granted, but should understand the importance of hiring a good criminal law attorney who is certified and an affiliated specialist to represent you for justice. For instance, John W. Callahan and Michael T. Norris can be hired as prosecutors who represent for various criminal matters.

Preparing yourself for any legal concern really plays a great role in a formal hearing. Hiring a criminal law attorney makes many tasks easier for you. An attorney can make prior arrangements by preparing the documents and presenting it in a right way. When you are thoroughly prepared for your case, the chances become higher that the hearing and evaluation would be in your favor.