In this section, our attorneys explain Nevada’s criminal laws and legal concepts, A to Z
Criminal Law A to Z
In this section, our attorneys explain Nevada’s criminal laws and legal concepts, A to Z
Crimes by NRS Section
Every crime in Nevada is based in a section of the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). For each crime, our attorneys explain the laws, penalties and best defenses to fight the charge.
Nevada DUI
Getting arrested for DUI does not mean you will be convicted. Police misconduct, defective breathalyzers and crime lab mistakes may be enough to get your charges lessened or dismissed. Visit our page on Nevada DUI Laws to learn more.
Post-Conviction
Even if you’ve already been convicted of a crime, there is still much you can do to seal your record and restore your rights. Our attorneys explain how.
Please note: Our firm only handles criminal and DUI cases, and only in California. We do not handle any of the following cases:
And we do not handle any cases outside of California.
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Law enforcement should take into account the following factors when deliberating over whether using a stun gun is warranted:
The police should always try to give a verbal admonishment to suspects prior to unleashing the stun gun in an effort to avoid having to use the stun gun at all.
Police are instructed to resort to stun guns as infrequently as possible. And if they do use a stun gun, they are instructed to stop as soon as the suspect is subdued. Repeated uses of a stun gun may be reasonable only if the suspect continues to present a threat.
Even though stun guns are not deadly weapons in and of themselves, they can turn deadly — or at least injurious — to victims who sustain repeated shocks one right after another. Furthermore, people are more likely to sustain serious injuries or even death from stun guns if they have certain medical conditions — such as obesity or an addiction.
Recently, the Ninth Circuit in Jones v. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said that the officers were justified in their initial single tasing of the suspect Mr. Jones in order to subdue him: Even though Mr. Jones did not post a threat, he was fleeing a traffic stop, and a single taser shock was a reasonable non-deadly way to capture him.
However, the Ninth Circuit disapproved of the officers’ continued tasing of Mr. Jones once he was restrained by handcuffs and surrounded by police. Since Mr. Jones was no longer a danger, the repeated taser use was unnecessary and even dangerous. Mr. Jones eventual death may have been caused by the tasing’s effect on his body, which was overweight.[2]
Ultimately, the LVMPD and Mr. Jones’ family agreed to a half-million dollar settlement. Following this case, LVMPD officers will limit its taser usage to three 5-second cycles. Furthermore, more than one officer may not tase a single suspect at the same time.[3]
Read our article about police misconduct in Nevada. Victims of excessive use of stun guns by law enforcement may be able to file a civil tort lawsuit and/or a Section 1983 lawsuit in Nevada.
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.