Criminal Law Newsletter Federal Government's Disclosure Obligations   The federal government has a duty to disclose certain documents and evidence to the defendant. The federal government has a duty to provide the defendant with a copy of his prior criminal record. However, the only information that must be provided to the defendant with respect to his prior criminal record is that which shows which offense the defendant was convicted of. The federal government is not required to provide any other information with respect to the conviction.More...   CONTINUANCES DURING TRIAL   A continuance is an adjournment or a postponement of a case. A continuance may be sought by either the prosecution or the defense in a criminal case. The continuance may be sought before a trial or during the trial.More...   Insurance Fraud and Federal Prosecutions   Although there is no specific federal statute prohibiting insurance fraud because there is a nexus with interstate commerce, federal prosecution for fraudulent conduct may be sought under a variety of different statutes. More...   PROBATION   Probation is a type of sentencing by which a trial court suspends the imposition of imprisonment and releases a defendant into the community based upon certain conditions. Probation is an alternative to imprisonment. Probation is similar to parole because it grants freedom from incarceration. More...   FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF EXPLOSIVES   Federal laws provide criminal sanctions for offenses involving the manufacture and sale of explosives. Such laws include the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which Act was enacted in response to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Federal laws also provide regulatory controls over interstate and foreign commerce in explosives. The regulatory controls are designed to assist states in regulating the manufacture, sale, transfer, and storage of explosives within their borders.More...