Category: Criminal Defense
If you have received a subpoena, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. You might even feel nervous or upset. After all, it can be frightening to receive an official document from the justice system that has your name on it. Are you in trouble? Will you go to jail over this? First, it’s…
Once someone has been convicted of a crime by a judge or jury, his or her case moves on to the sentencing stage. In the event an individual accepts a plea bargain, they will also go through the sentencing process. An individual is also sentenced if they take a plea bargain from the prosecutor. Most…
Before the internet, it was much easier for people to lose contact or drift apart. After a bad break up, you might move away and never have to worry about bumping into an old ex. Now that social media and smartphones are everywhere, however, keeping your distance is much harder than it used to be…
Can Police Access Cell Phone Location Data Without a Warrant? In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down what digital privacy experts are hailing as a landmark case in Carpenter v. United States. If you own any kind of mobile phone, including a smartphone, you’ll want to read on to learn what Carpenter…
According to a recent report, information gathered from jailhouse informants is used in 23 percent of death row cases in which the convicted individual is later exonerated. In Texas, a 2017 law made the state one of the most progressive concerning how prosecutors must disclose their use of jailhouse informants, including informing the defense when…
Any charge of murder is serious, but the type of murder charge has an impact on your case. Find out the difference between murder and felony murder in Texas. Criminal offenses that coincide with the loss of life result in charges that are among the most serious a person can face. In the state of…
In recent years, many forensic techniques have been discredited as new information cast doubt on their reliability. Texas has a trailblazing state law allowing courts to overturn convictions in cases where the scientific evidence that led to the original verdict has since changed or been discredited. Although the law is not often used, it has…
A 66-year-old man in a wheelchair who claimed his veins would not handle a lethal injection failed to halt his death by lethal injection in Texas. Danny Bible was executed last month almost 40 years after the body of 20-year-old Inez Deaton was found in a field near a car wash in Harris County. Bible…
Scams targeting elderly people are endemic in Texas. Older people are more vulnerable to fraudsters leading police departments to step up awareness campaigns to protect the elderly. Recently, the Dallas Morning News featured the work of Christopher Bianez, an officer with the Plano Police Department. AARP Magazine featured Bianez on the cover of its March…
Most of us are familiar with field sobriety tests for suspected drunk drivers. A DWI suspect may be asked to walk in a straight line or to stand and turn to indicate if he or she is intoxicated. These tests are still widely used in Texas DWI cases to establish probable cause despite evidence that…