Year: 2016
Thousands of case files are set to be reopened in Texas after a change in scientific standards for DNA evaluation raised questions about the convictions of numerous defendants. DNA evidence has been seen as a highly reliable indicator of guilt or innocence in criminal cases for decades. But a major re-evaluation in the probabilities involved…
Texas has a no nonsense reputation for drunk driving and long prison terms are not uncommon in the Lone Star state for DWI drivers. However, the sentence that was handed down to Ronnie Paul Hobgood was stiff even by the state’s standards. Hobgood was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in February. In August he…
Mistakes are a normal part of life. For many people, mistakes are an important part of the learning process. A close call or a near miss can actually be a sobering reminder of why you shouldn’t have been doing something dangerous or illegal in the first place. However, some mistakes are bigger than others –…
A former accountant from Dallas who murdered his two daughters in 2001, has been moved from death row as a fight goes on to prove his mental incompetency. The Dallas Morning News reported on how John Battaglia had been due to be executed in March but won a stay of execution in the 5th U.S….
Having a criminal record can severely impact your life by barring you from jobs and accolades, even years after a conviction. This was graphically illustrated when a beauty queen in Texas was stripped of her crown after her criminal record came to light. KHOU reported on how Miss Corpus Christi Latina Caitlin Cifuentes, will have…
Most people have an intuitive sense of what constitutes a crime. For example, you probably know that taking something from a store without paying for it is a shoplifting offense. And while you may not go to jail for running a red light, you may end up with a traffic citation if a police officer…
Texas has an unenviable record for wrongful convictions. When a defendant is wrongfully jailed he or she is not the only one to lose out. A report this month reveals the state has paid 101 men and women who were wrongfully jailed $93.6 million over the last 25 years. That’s money that could have been…
Society takes a dim view of drug offenders but sentences of life in prison seem unduly Draconian when their offenses didn’t involve violence. This certainly appears to be the view of President Barack Obama whose office has commuted the sentences of two drug offenders from Texas. The offenders whose sentences have been commuted are Douglas…
Texas is seeing a spike in crimes committed with imitation weapons, partly because offenders believe they will receive a lesser sentence if they are caught. It’s a perception that’s false in Texas. If the victim of a crime believes the weapon that’s pointed at them is real it’s sufficient to warrant a first-degree felony charge…
Dallas criminal defense lawyer Mick Mickelsen discusses complexities of criminal cases involving alleged hate crimes. Dallas police are investigating a recent Oak Lawn area attack as a purported hate crime. Local media reports say there has been a string of reported attacks and robberies in the area since last summer, and possibly more that have…