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SUCCESSIVE FEDERAL HABEAS CORPUS PETITIONS

When a state prisoner has previously filed a federal habeas corpus petition that has been denied on the merits, federal courts will generally not consider another petition or a successive petition that is filed by the prisoner. The rationale for...

JURY INSTRUCTIONS ON THE EVIDENCE

A jury's role in a criminal case is to determine the guilt or innocence of a defendant. In accordance with this role, the jury must determine the weight that is to be given to the prosecution's evidence and whether the prosecution has proven the...

REQUESTS FOR JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Both the prosecution and a defendant have a right to request that certain instructions be submitted to a jury when a trial court charges the jury. A request for the instructions must be made in writing and must be presented to the trial court...

Federal Government's Disclosure Obligations

The federal government has a duty to disclose certain documents and evidence to the defendant. The federal government has a duty to provide the defendant with a copy of his prior criminal record. However, the only information that must be...

Hobbs Act Generally

The elements with respect to a violation of the Hobbs Act are as follows:

Obstruction or effect on interstate commerce.
An attempt, conspiracy or completed robbery or extortion is committed.
The...