Does Every Crime Have a Statute of Limitations?
It’s important to remember that statutes of limitations vary from state to state Statutes of limitations put a limit on how long a person can be prosecuted for a crime. These time limits also exist in civil law. For example, the statute of limitations for suing someone over a breach of contract is generally 10... Read More
What’s the Penalty for Perjury?
Texas criminal law makes it clear that a person can be convicted of perjury if they knowingly make a false written statement even when not under oath Most people have a basic understanding of perjury. They know that it involves lying under oath, and most people picture this happening on the witness stand in a... Read More
What Age Do Kids Get Tried As Adults in Texas?
Many states have taken steps to ensure juvenile offenders in their courts are not slapped with a life sentence before they even reach adulthood Should a teenager be sentenced to life in prison? It’s a question that has resonated throughout the criminal justice system in recent years. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that... Read More
Sheriff’s Office Mistakes Could Affect Over 100 Convictions
It’s terrifying to think that the nation’s most elite federal law enforcement agency could be so wrong on so many cases over such a staggeringly long period of time Just a few years ago, the FBI admitted that serious flaws in investigatory practices used by its forensics unit led to nearly every examiner giving inaccurate... Read More
Texas Law Makes Attacks on Police a Hate Crime
The law comes about one year after a devastating attack on Dallas police officers in which five officers were killed Beginning September 1, 2017, Texas joins a handful of states that have enacted so-called “Blue Lives Matter” laws, which make attacks on law enforcement officials, including judges, a hate crime. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed... Read More
Deaths of 10 People in a Trailer in Texas Highlights Human Trafficking Crimes
The recent deaths of 10 people who were crammed into an overheated tractor-trailer has again highlighted the hazards of the human smuggling industry in Texas. In July, the Department of Justice charged a truck driver accused of involvement in a human-trafficking incident. At least 10 people died in the parking lot of a Walmart in San... Read More
Texas to Move 1,000 Inmates Following Judge’s Ruling over Excessive Prison Heat
Severe heat at Texas prisons has been linked to deaths and lawsuits. Now Texas plans to move about 1,000 Texas prisoners to cooler cells. Last week, Texas submitted a plan under a court order to move 1,000 inmates who are sensitive to heat from the Pack Unit near Navasota to other state jails and... Read More
Texas Offers a ‘Second Chance” to First-Time DWI Offenders
Texas is not known for being lenient on people charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI). Even first time offenders are often hit with heavy sentences not to mention ongoing payments under the Driver Responsibility Program. A new ‘second chance’ law for DWI offenders is a welcome measure that will help offenders get their lives back... Read More
What Is a Mistrial?
Mistrials happen for a variety of reasons The Bill Cosby sexual assault case has dominated headlines over the past year. The case is complicated, as it involves thorny questions about statutes of limitations and whether Cosby previously admitted or acknowledged that he engaged in some of the behavior the plaintiffs accuse him of. When the... Read More
Should States Get Rid of Cash Bail Systems?
As PBS reports, the cash bail system is the norm in most states, but it is not without its critics Everyone had heard the term “bail,” but do you really know what it means? In most jurisdictions in the country, when you’re arrested and charged with a crime, the court has the option to set... Read More