Legal and Political Articles Online

William L. Pfeifer, Jr., has written for a variety of publications.  He currently writes a National Legal News column for Examiner.com, where he posts new articles on legal issues several times each week.  To read his articles on that site, click here.

In addition to writing for Examiner.com, Mr. Pfeifer has published legal and political articles on a variety of websites and in various publications.  Please click on the links below to read the full text of each article.

• The Right to a Speedy Trial in Alabama.  The Supreme Court did not provide any real guidance on how to determine whether or not there had been a denial of the right to a speedy trial until the case of Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972), where it established a four-prong balancing test. The four factors to be weighed are (1) the length of the delay, (2) the reasons for the delay, (3) the defendant’s assertion of his right, and (4) the prejudice to the defendant. Any analysis of whether a defendant has been denied his right to a speedy trial is based on this test.  To read Part I of the article, click here.  To read Part II, click here.  To read Part III, click here.  To read Part IV, click here.
• What is Pretrial Diversion?  Pretrial diversion, also called pretrial intervention, can give first-time offenders a second chance at having a clean criminal history.  To read the full article, click here or here.
• How to Calculate Child Support in Alabama. Alabama, like most states, provides a very specific method for determining the amount of child support that must be paid by a noncustodial parent.  To read the full article, click here.
• What is a Preliminary Hearing? Unless there has been a grand jury indictment, a defendant is entitled to a preliminary hearing once he or she has been arrested for a felony offense.  To read the full article, click here.
• What Happens When A Person Dies Without a Will?  The Laws of Intestate Succession.  When a person fails to plan for death by writing a will or by utilizing other estate planning tools, the state has a procedure for distributing his or her assets.  To read the full article, click here.
• How to Calculate Child Support: Understanding Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Procedure.  Alabama law provides a specific formula for calculating child support known as the Rule 32 Guidelines. Support can be determined by using Form CS-42.  To read the full article, click here
• What is a Plea Bargain?  The overwhelming majority of criminal cases in both state and federal courts are resolved through plea bargains (also known as plea agreements). The process of reaching such an agreement is known as plea bargaining or as plea negotiations. In a plea agreement, a defendant agrees to enter a guilty plea to one or more charges rather than go to trial. In exchange for the defendant's guilty plea, the prosecutor agrees to dismiss one or more charges against the defendant, agrees to reduce a charge to a lesser offense, and/or agrees to make recommendations to the judge regarding sentencing. The particular structure of the plea agreement will vary from case to case.  To read the full article, click here.
• How to Become a Lawyer.  The process of becoming a lawyer can be broken down into seven basic steps.  To read the full article, click here.
• The Evolution of Guantanamo Bay.  Within hours of taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama issued an executive order temporarily suspending all prosecutions of the “unlawful enemy combatants” being held at the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp. To read the full article series , click here for Part I. here for Part II, here for Part III, and here for Part IV.

More links coming soon!