| Prosecutions for State Insurance Fraud |
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| Most states have statutes governing the issue of insurance fraud. One may be charged with insurance fraud if: The individual prepared or presented a false or fraudulent written statement; the individual aided, solicited, or conspired in presenting a fraudulent written statement; the individual had the specific intent to defraud the insurer.
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| Jury Selection in Capital Cases |
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| In a case in which a defendant may face the death penalty, jury selection takes on additional and different concerns than those faced in jury selection generally. The nature of the case, penalty phase procedures and length of the case are all additional factors that must be taken into consideration. More... |
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| Competency and Sequestration of Witnesses |
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| Testimony of witnesses is a common way to present evidence during a criminal trial. However, before the testimony of a witness can be accepted during a defendant's trial it must be established that the witness is competent or have the capacity to testify.
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| Judicial Review of Disputed Jencks Act Materials |
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| 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.
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| Appellate Review of Comments During Closing Arguments and Standards of Review |
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| When a defendant appeals his conviction on the basis that the trial court erred in overruling his objection to the prosecutor's improper comments made during closing arguments, the appellate court will analyze the entire closing argument. The trial court is given wide discretion with respect to closing arguments.
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