Search and seizure rules apply when law enforcement conducts a search that invades a citizen’s legitimate expectation of privacy. The expectation must be objectively reasonable in the situation.

Very few criminal cases go to trial. Over 90 percent of all cases result in a plea bargain, in which the defendant pleads guilty or no contest in exchange for a lesser charge or lighter sentence.

In some states, law enforcement will eliminate an arrest from an individual’s record automatically if they are not charged. Otherwise, you may need to petition for a finding of factual innocence.