Omaha Criminal Defense Blog

For many decades in Nebraska, a heavy emphasis has been placed on combatting alleged instances of driving under the influence. This emphasis has been so heavy, in fact, that the term driving under the influence and its acronym, DUI, is all but considered a synonym for drunk driving. However, a driver can be arrested for and charged with a DUI offense even if they have not consumed alcohol. This is because operating a vehicle under the influence of a drug may also lead to such a charge.

According to Nebraska TV, the number of people finding themselves facing criminal charges for suspected drugged driving in the state has been on the rise. Grand Island is said to have more active cases of suspected driving under the influence of drugs than any other part of the state, incuding the city of Omaha.

Among the potential long-term consequences of a conviction for a felony is the loss of voting rights. According to FindLaw, it is up to each state to determine how a felony conviction will affect the right of an individual to vote, regardless of whether an election is taking place at the state, local or national level because it is the states, not the federal government, that determine voting eligibility. Nebraska is one of 44 states that restore felons' right to vote following successful sentence completion although, again, the restoration process varies by state.

According to the Nebraska Secretary of State's office, upon conviction of a felony, Nebraskans lose their voting rights on a temporary basis; this is true even if the conviction happened in another state. Two years after the individual has completed all the terms of his or her sentence, including any parole or probation in addition to incarceration, the state restores the individual's voting eligibility. However, the individual will need to complete a new voter registration after receiving notification from the Department of Corrections confirming successful sentence completion.

When people think of a false or a wrong arrest, they generally imagine a Nebraska police officer placing a person under arrest without any justification for it. As FindLaw points out, an officer is usually guilty of wrongfully arresting a person if the officer did not have probable cause. Basically, an arrest is wrongful or false if the person committing the arrest had no legal authority to do so.

If a police officer does not possess a warrant to arrest you or to conduct a search that might lead to your arrest, then the officer must have probable cause that a crime has been committed or will happen. Generally, it is not easy to establish that a police official had no reasonable cause to suspect a crime, as the police depend on their own subjective judgment to ascertain if criminal activity is going on.

Finding the right treatment for drug addiction can be challenging. However, if you've recently been charged with the use or possession of drugs in Nebraska, finding the right treatment is a must to prevent further harm from befalling you. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains how to find effective drug treatment if you're struggling with addiction.  

People with drug addictions experience chronic cravings to their substance of choice. Extended drug use also causes alterations to the brain and its chemistry, which is why it's so difficult for people to stop using, even when faced with devastating consequences. Because drug addiction is so challenging, it's important for treatments to have certain elements.