Tag: criminal defense attorney

A new bill filed in Texas would make it more difficult for police to withhold body camera footage of fatal encounters involving police officers and criminal suspects. The bill was filed after prosecutors brought a murder charge against an officer, almost a year after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black and Hispanic man in…

Ken Paxon

Prosecutions of white-collar crimes are often complicated, lengthy, and intricate. However, even by the standards of these offenses, the federal prosecution of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been a drawn-out affair. Paxton, a Republican, was indicted on felony security fraud charges in 2015. Five years later, the case has still not gone to trial…

sex trafficking

Texas routinely leads the nation in sex trafficking crimes. The state’s massive size and its long border with Mexico make it the focus of major investigations into these offenses. This month, the North Texas Trafficking Task Force announced the arrest of a 46-year-old man on a count of promotion of prostitution and reckless disregard of…

death penalty

The highest court in the nation has again overruled the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in a death penalty case, siding with a Houston man on death row for a double killing. The court sent Terence Andrus’ case back to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for further review. In a 6-3 ruling, the court…

police reform

The killing of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked nationwide protests and increased scrutiny of the treatment of African Americans by police officers in Texas and elsewhere. In Texas, activists have pointed to the killings and mistreatment of black suspects by police officers and called for greater protections for people who come into contact with law…

behind bars

The Innocence Files, a Netflix original documentary, has highlighted wrongful convictions across the United States including a case in Texas. Defense attorneys are acutely aware of the high number of people who are convicted based on flimsy or falsified evidence, junk science, or coerced confessions. Now the Netflix series is educating a wider audience about…

appeals

Psychological and IQ tests can play an important part in criminal trials. Juries, judges, and lawyers are not experts in psychology and these tests often prove persuasive. However, recent research suggests courts are failing to properly screen out this evidence, allowing ‘junk science’ to influence court proceedings. A study published in February in the journal…

hate crime

Few crimes have caused the degree of national outcry and soul-searching as the killing of 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso last summer. Now the North Texas man accused of the mass shooting has been charged with hate crimes and nearly 100 federal crimes. Patrick Crusius has been charged with both federal…

probation in texas

Hundreds of defendants appeal court decisions every year. At Broden & Mickelsen, LLP, our criminal defense lawyers represent many people who fight their convictions in higher courts. The appeals process is far from straightforward. This month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a decision by the 7th Court of Appeals reversing the murder-for-hire conviction…

solitary confinement

Increasing numbers of prisoners are spending long periods locked up alone in the United States. Experts say solitary confinement is putting severe psychological pressure on inmates and was likely linked to the death of a prisoner in Texas. Russell Johnson took his life after living in solitary confinement for over two-and-a-half years, the Texas Observer…