Students from kindergarten to 12th grade are encouraged to stand up against sexual harassment and abuse, thanks to a new hashtag started by the Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS) nonprofit organization. While much attention has recently focused on sexual harassment and assault in workplaces and on college campuses, sexual wrongdoing against younger children has received less of the spotlight, and SSAIS is working to change that. Sexual Misconduct in Our Schools SSAIS was founded by ...

After someone makes a Title IX complaint of sexual assault or harassment at a college or university, a long process can ensue before the school resolves the matter—or even decides how to best go about resolving the matter. During this time, the school must take necessary interim measures to keep the students involved safe. One common measure is to enforce a No Contact Order (NCO) between the students. Schools can enact NCOs at different times during ...

Technology has certainly made its way into the courtroom, including in criminal cases. Law enforcement and prosecutors now regularly use electronic communications and information from social media profiles as evidence in criminal cases. In addition, defense attorneys can sometimes use this type of evidence in the defendant’s favor to challenge the allegations. Imagine the following situation: A young girl is driving and slams into another vehicle, killing her two best friends. The driver is suspected of ...

Often, when police officers do not know who committed an alleged crime, they will search the scene for fingerprints to help identify a suspect. If a fingerprint matches one in the law enforcement database, police can use the match as probable cause to obtain a warrant and make an arrest. A prosecutor will likely rely heavily on the fingerprint evidence in the subsequent criminal case, and juries often take fingerprint evidence as proof beyond a reasonable ...

You have likely heard about recent hazing incidents that have gotten out of hand at colleges and universities across the United States, causing injury or even the death of fraternity or sorority pledges, college athletes, or members of other school or social organizations. For example, the parents of a Northern Illinois University fraternity pledge filed a wrongful death lawsuit when their son died due to forced drinking during a hazing event. The Illinois Supreme Court recently ...