Author: Mick Mickelsen
Texas based criminal lawyer Mick Mickelsen discusses the headline making case of a missing teenager purported to be on the run after violating probation. The case of Ethan Couch, a Texas teenager charged after being involved in a drunk-driving accident that resulted in the deaths of four people, made national headlines two years ago after…
Texas’s new “open carry” law came into effect on Jan 1, 2016, sparking considerable discussion about how it will affect the criminal law and the safety of citizens. The new law permits concealed handgun licensees to openly carry a holstered firearm, making Texas the largest state to have this kind of law on its statute…
When the Dallas Morning News recently featured the case of Khristopher Hood it highlighted one of the most disturbing aspects of Texas’s criminal justice system. Hood was locked up when he was just 11-years-old and hasn’t seen freedom since. That’s about to change next year when he will be released in his 30s. The article…
Bite marks have been used for decades by forensic scientists in criminal cases to help establish the identity of offenders. But the fact it is a tried and tested method, does not mean it’s a reliable one. Now Texas is leading the way in developing guidelines on whether this evidence should be admissible at all…
The number of executions carried out in Texas has been declining at the same time as the rest of the nation. However, Texas still executes far more prisoners than any other state. When inmate Raphael Holiday was put to death last month, he was the 13th convicted killer to be executed in the state this…
Sex offenses can be extremely complicated as illustrated by a recent arrest in Dallas where police claim they picked up a man with a 16-year-old girl who he had forced into prostitution. The Dallas Morning News reported police said they had caught a man in a stolen pickup with a 16-year-old girl who he had…
Jailing young people who pose a low risk to society is counterproductive and increases their risks of offending in the future, according to research from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Kathy Park, the Chief Executive Officer of NCCD, outlined her concerns that the juvenile justice system is letting down some young people in…
Organized crimes are treated very seriously by the authorities, particularly when crimes of theft may involve violence. However, impressionable teens can sometimes be drawn into a life of crime due to peer pressure, poor parenting, economic factors or a range of other reasons. Recently, the Houston Chronicle reported on how 11 teenagers and a 21-year-old…
F. Clinton Broden I. Testimonial Privilege To invoke this privilege, a person must show that the government is seeking (i) to compel him (ii) to give testimony (iii) that would incriminate him. A. Scope 1. “Despite its cherished position, the Fifth Amendment addresses only a relatively narrow scope of inquiries.” It only applies to testimony…
The case of a teen rapist from Dallas which received nationally attention last year when he was sentenced for five years’ probation, highlights the circumstances in which a sentence can be reconsidered. Former Booker T. Washington High School student Sir Khalil Young received probation for raping a 14-year-old classmate last year. Now his case is…