Tag: Texas criminal defense lawyer

What Happens If I Ignore a Subpoena?

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…

voter fraud

Voter fraud is a controversial offense, nowhere more so than in Texas, which has seen several high profile cases. Crystal Mason, a woman who tried to cast a ballot as a felon, was sentenced to five years in prison in late September. Mason, 43, attempted to vote in the 2016 election. Although she used her…

bodycam

Police body camera evidence is a relatively new and powerful tool in criminal trials. Footage has helped expose improper DWI arrests and heavy-handed police tactics. In a recent murder trial, the video footage helped secure the murder conviction of a Texas officer accused of shooting a 15-year-old dead. Police officers are seldom convicted of murder…

Jail Informants Can Send Innocent People to Prison

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…

Common Questions About Probation in Texas

Dallas Criminal Lawyer Discusses – Common Questions About Probation in Texas When you commit a crime in Texas, you may be ordered to serve probation. To avoid confusion, it’s important to acknowledge that in Texas, probation is also referred to as community supervision. Probation can seem like a scary thing when you don’t know anything…

graphic scam of man stealing money from purse

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…

come back with a warrant

Fourth Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure have been upheld in two recent landmark Supreme Court rulings related to the searches of vehicles. In both rulings handed down last month, the U.S. Supreme Court defended the right to privacy even when the parties in question broke the law. The cases were reported in USA…

voter fraud

At a criminal trial, it’s usually necessary to establish the ‘guilty mind’ of a defendant to secure a conviction. This doctrine underpins the criminal law and known by the Latin mens rea. However, in the case of Crystal Mason from Texas, a genuine mistake failed to avert a five-year prison sentence. The case has again…

Online Solicitation of a Minor in Texas Broden & Mickelsen

Media reports state that police in Texas have been very active in targeting online predators. Using the internet to arrange or ask for sex or sexual contact with an underage individual is a serious crime under both federal law and Texas state law. Many people view the internet as a sort of Wild Wild West,…

What Is the RICO Act

There are a host of famous — or infamous, depending on your perspective — RICO Act cases throughout U.S. legal history. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a federal statute that has been around since 1970. It makes headlines every now and then in the news when federal law enforcement officials and…