Category: Criminal Defense
It’s no secret that most taxpayers prefer to have as little interaction as possible with the IRS. When it comes to communications with the Internal Revenue Service, no news is considered good news, and in most cases, the IRS has no cause to ask questions or conduct an audit. However, if someone commits tax fraud…
Harris County, the most populous place in Texas, has bowed to pressure to reform its bail practices and settle a federal lawsuit. County officials agreed with the move in late July, in a case Commissioner Rodney Ellis said was “as big as Brown v. Board of Education,” the Texas Tribune reported. Harris County has been…
Many people who rent-to-own furniture and other goods in Texas don’t realize failing to make payments can result in criminal charges or even a term in jail. However, a bill enacted this summer by the Texas legislature has helped close a loophole that allowed people who could not afford to make payments to be prosecuted….
Dogs have powerful noses. According to researchers at Florida State University, they can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans. Considering how amazing a dog’s sense of smell is, it’s probably no wonder why police use dogs to detect illegal substances. But what does the law say about drug sniffing dogs? Can police use…
When you ride as a passenger in a vehicle, you are giving a certain amount of control over to the driver. For example, if the driver is exceeding the speed limit, you could find yourself in a situation being pulled over and stopped by the police. What happens if the driver has an illegal substance…
Although many people use “restraining order” and “protective order” to refer to the same thing, these two terms actually describe two different types of court orders. In stalking and harassment cases, when someone needs protection from an alleged stalker or harasser, the appropriate order is a protective order. If you believe that another person poses…
Many depictions of police lineups on television or movies make it seem like police routinely and easily solve crimes simply by having a victim point out the perpetrator in a line of suspects. But do police lineups really work this way? What happens if the victim identifies the wrong person? Studies have shown that police…
Most people are curious about their family origins. It’s normal to wonder where your ancestors came from and how they moved around the world before you. This curiosity has led to a rapid rise in the popularity of home DNA testing kits like those offered by Ancestry.com and 23andMe. However, privacy experts say these kits…
To stand trial in a criminal case, a defendant must be capable of understanding the charges against them. In other words, the individual needs to be in their right mind before they can face prosecution. This is known as “competence.” When a defendant’s mental state restricts the person from understanding or comprehending the charges in…
For society to function in an orderly way, lawmakers pass laws designed to help people stay safe. In most cases of violating the law, it can lead to criminal charges being brought against you. In some cases, a crime can also cause harm to another person. However, not all actions that cause harm to another…