Year: 2016
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…
A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel has determined a Texas prison ban concerning beards and religious headwear is illegal. A three-judge 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans has ruled that an inmate ban on 4-inch beards and religious headwear imposed by a Texas prison is not legal. Recent news…
An attorney for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has stated that a grand jury is no longer investigating him over a land deal. A defense lawyer for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has said that a Collin County grand jury has dropped its investigation of the state prosecutor over a 2004 land deal. Attorney Philip…
Months after Texas law changed to allow the open carry of handguns, many continue to debate the legality of signs prohibiting guns on certain properties. The Texas open carry gun law continues to spark widespread debate even months after a measure allowing the open carry of handguns went into effect January 1. The latest discussions…
The FBI set up its Most Wanted Fugitives List back in 1950 but few women have appeared on it. When Brenda Delgado, a Mexican national, was arrested last week in connection with the killing of a pediatric dentist in Dallas, she was just the ninth woman to ever appear on the list, the Dallas Morning…
Identity theft has become more prevalent in recent years and may be organized by gangs that operate across state lines. Several police departments have reported an alleged “smash-and-grab theft ring” which is infamous for stealing identities of victims and committing bank fraud has returned to North Texas. The Dallas Morning News reported the comments of…
Arguments that a convicted killer who shot a city code officer dead in 2005, suffered from severe mental illness, failed to stop Texas from executing another death row inmate this month. Adam Ward, 33, became the fifth prisoner to be executed this year on March 22. He was sentenced to death for the killing of…
Texas criminal defense attorney reports on the case of a man recently executed after raising an appeal citing mental impairment. A Texas man was recently executed in connection with multiple murder convictions stemming from a 1997 shooting. Texas criminal defense attorney Mick Mickelsen, who has no direct connection to the case reports that the man,…
In recent years texting has become one of the main means of communications for millions of people. The expansion of texting apps and social media has also led to a whole new raft of cyber crimes and a headache for law enforcement. But while it can be obvious if a text constitutes harassment or stalking,…