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.
In accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution, the federal government has jurisdiction over all admiralty and maritime cases. This means that the federal government has jurisdiction over all criminal offenses that are committed on the high seas, on any other waters within the jurisdiction of the United States, or on any vessel that belongs to the United States, to a United States citizen, or to a corporation, which vessel is located within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States and not within the jurisdiction of a state.
Generally speaking legal issues are to be determined by the trial court and factual issues are to be determined by a jury or judge if no jury is present. However, either the judge or the jury may determine preliminary determinations of facts.
Counterfeiting trademarked goods is a growing problem in the United States. Counterfeiting of trademarked goods constitutes a felony offense. The offense involves the secret manufacture and distribution of imitation items. The counterfeited items consist of imitations of well-known products such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and Coach. Both the Trademark Counterfeiting Act of 1984 and the Anticounterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996 address the issues of counterfeiting of trademarked goods.
In some states, a person commits an offense if he or she sells, rents, leases, or lends a handgun to another person with the knowledge that the person intends to use the handgun unlawfully or intends to use the handgun in the commission of an unlawful act. A "handgun" for purposes of this offense is any firearm that is designed, made, or adapted to be fired with one hand, such as a pistol or a revolver.
