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Karmelo Anthony One of the most common misconceptions about self-defense is that you can use any amount of force if you feel threatened. That's not how the law works. In self-defense cases, the force used must be reasonable and proportionate to the threat being faced. The law allows people to defend themselves, but it does not give them unlimited authority to respond with whatever level of force they choose. This issue was central to the Karmelo Anthony trial. Jurors were ask

Intoxilyzer Brandon MS As a former prosecutor and current criminal defense lawyer, I explain the difference between the little handheld breath test on the side of the road and the Intoxilyzer machine that can get your license suspended if you refuse it. I also talk about why telling an officer, "I only had two drinks," never seems to help anybody and why a lot of the advice people have been hearing for years doesn't match what actually happens in court. This isn't law school

DUI Jackson MS Breathalyzer Not true. While many people believe refusing a breath test makes a DUI case disappear, prosecutors can still use other evidence such as your driving, field sobriety tests, body camera footage, the officer's observations, and your own statements. In this video, I explain what happens when you refuse a breath test and why this common legal myth can get people into trouble. Did you think refusing the test meant the State couldn't prove a DUI? Let me k

Cops Lie Jackson MS One of the biggest legal myths out there is that police officers are required to be truthful when they're questioning a suspect. They're not. Police can tell you they found your fingerprints when they didn't. They can tell you your friend already confessed when he hasn't. They can tell you they have surveillance video when no such video exists. The goal is often to get you talking, and the law generally allows these types of investigative tactics. Now, the

Miranda Rights Jackson MS Many people believe that if police don't read you your Miranda rights, the case gets thrown out. That's not how it works. In this video, I explain what Miranda actually requires and why this legal myth refuses to die.

Undercover Cops Jackson MS One of the most persistent legal myths is that undercover police officers have to tell you they're cops if you ask. They don't. In this video, I explain where this myth comes from and what the law actually says.

One of the biggest legal myths out there is that first-time offenders don't go to jail. As a former prosecutor and current criminal defense lawyer, I can tell you that's simply not true. While having no criminal history can help, there is no rule that says a judge can't send a first-time offender to jail. In this video, I explain why this myth persists and what actually matters when it comes to sentencing.

Learn why telling a police officer you “only had two drinks” can actually help establish probable cause for a DUI arrest in Mississippi. DUI defense lawyer serving Jackson, Brandon, and Madison.

miranda-rights-mississippi Most people think they understand Miranda rights because they’ve heard them on TV. They don’t. In real life, Miranda rights are much narrower than people think, and misunderstanding them can hurt your case. If you’re dealing with a criminal charge in Jackson, Brandon, or Madison, Mississippi, here’s what you actually need to know. What Are Miranda Rights? Miranda rights come from the Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona. They require law enforcemen

Aggravated DUI in Jackson, Brandon and Madison, MS If you’ve been drinking and another driver causes a wreck, are you automatically at fault? Not necessarily. One of the biggest misconceptions in Mississippi DUI law is that being over the legal limit automatically makes you responsible for a car accident. That is not how the law works. In many DUI cases in Jackson, Brandon, and Madison, the real issue becomes causation. Who actually caused the crash? Did another driver run a

Mississippi Today recently featured attorney Shaun Yurtkuran in its reporting on the dismissal of a capital murder case against Cortez George and the broader concerns surrounding violent crime investigations in Jackson. The article focused on the 2024 homicide investigation into the death of local DJ Anthony Davis, also known as “DJ Choo.” During the preliminary hearing, the State’s investigator acknowledged that the case largely relied on hearsay information rather than dire

Possession of drugs that weren't mine I hear this all the time. “It wasn’t on me, so I’m good.” I get why people think that. It sounds logical. If it is not in your pocket, it should not be your problem. That is not how the law works in Mississippi. Let me give you a real world example. You are riding in a friend’s car in Jackson. Police make a stop. They search the car and find cocaine in the center console. Your friend says it is not his. You say it is not yours. Everybody

Most people assume police have to be completely honest during an investigation. They don’t. In Mississippi—and across the country—law enforcement officers are allowed to use deception during interrogations. That means they can tell you they have evidence they don’t, say a co-defendant has already confessed, or suggest they “just need your side of the story” to clear things up. And if you start talking, those statements can still be used against you in court. This surprises a

Most lawyers don’t talk about how they actually started. I will. At 25 years old, fresh out of law school, I walked into federal court to try my first case with no file, no partner, and no real idea what I was doing. The client? A man who had killed two cops and was now suing the State of Mississippi. That was my introduction to the legal system—the real version, not what you see on TV. Not long after that, I found myself working inside the Hinds County court system and later

Mississippi’s legalization of medical marijuana under the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act has created a quiet but growing legal issue that many people don’t fully understand. A medical marijuana card may protect you from a possession charge. It does not protect you from a DUI. That distinction matters, and it is already showing up in real cases across Mississippi. The Law Focuses on Impairment, Not Legality of medical marijuana In Mississippi, DUI law is built around one cen

Charlie Kirk Bullet I’m seeing a lot of noise about this bullet fragment not being matched to a gun, like it’s some kind of bombshell. It’s not. I spent ten years as a prosecutor. This happens all the time. Bullets hit bone, pavement, whatever’s in their path, and they get mangled. By the time they’re recovered, there’s not enough left to compare. When that happens, the result is “inconclusive.” That doesn’t mean it didn’t come from the gun. It means there’s not enough ther

Social Media hooked kids by design? For years, social media has been treated like harmless entertainment. That’s starting to change. Across the country, lawsuits are being filed against companies like Meta Platforms and Google alleging something much more serious: that these platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive, particularly for children and teenagers. If that sounds familiar, it should. It’s the same theory that reshaped the legal landscape during the tobacc

A California jury just found Meta and Google liable for designing social media platforms that are addictive and harmful to young users. That’s the part people are missing. This wasn’t about bad posts or offensive content. It was about the design of the product itself. That’s a completely different animal. The plaintiff was a young woman who started using these platforms as a kid. Her argument was simple and, frankly, familiar if you’ve followed litigation over the last thirty

Did the Maui doctor try to kill his wife? The Maui doctor case making national headlines isn’t really about a hike. It’s about intent. Prosecutors are telling a story that feels clean and deliberate. A husband takes his wife on a remote birthday hike, isolates her, and tries to kill her. That’s the frame. And it’s a strong one. Location matters. Circumstances matter. When you put a jury in that setting mentally, it starts to feel like planning. I spent ten years as a prosecut

Meta gets hit with massive verdict! A jury in New Mexico just delivered a $375 million verdict against Meta (Facebook), the company behind Facebook and Instagram, over claims that it failed to protect children on its platforms. This wasn’t a minor regulatory issue. This case went straight at the core question: can a social media company be held legally responsible for how its platform operates — especially when children are involved? The jury’s answer was yes. What the Case W