| PROSECUTION EVIDENCE AT SENTENCING HEARINGS |
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| Either the prosecution or the defense may present evidence at a defendant's sentencing hearing. If the prosecution presents evidence, it is generally in the form of the defendant's prior criminal record or the defendant's bad reputation and bad character.More... |
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| UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON WHERE PROHIBITED |
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| In some states, a person commits the offense of unlawful possession of a weapon where prohibited if he or she intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses a firearm, an illegal knife, a club, or a prohibited weapon on or within a certain number of feet from certain premises. Such premises include schools or educational institutions, polling places on the day of an election, courthouses, racetracks, secured areas of airports, or correctional institutions. More... |
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| FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING KIDNAPPING |
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| A person commits a federal offense if he or she knowingly and willingly transports an unconsenting person in interstate commerce and holds the person for ransom, reward, or otherwise. In order to convict a defendant of kidnapping, the federal government must prove interstate or foreign transportation. The government is not required to prove that the defendant carried out the kidnapping for personal gain. The government may establish that the kidnapping was carried out for something other than personal gain, such as in order to silence a potential witness or in order to obtain sexual gratification.More... |
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| FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING HOSTAGE-TAKING |
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| Although the policy of the federal government is that most hostage-taking offenses within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States should be handled by state and local authorities, there are situations in which the federal government may be involved in prosecuting such offenses. These situations include the taking of a federal official or an international guest as a hostage, a demand against the United States regarding the hostage-taking, or when international terrorists are the perpetrators. More... |
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| Violations of the Federal Controlled Substance Act |
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| The Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act gives the government the authority to supervise the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances. The Federal Controlled Substance Act (Substance Act) is a subdivision of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. More... |
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