Author: Mick Mickelsen
Though TV shows depict prosecutors as the link in the criminal justice system that is responsible for restraining the others, always talking sense to overzealous cops, what happens in real life when the prosecutors are the ones that need to be controlled? Prosecutorial misconduct is a big problem in Texas and one that’s incredibly hard…
On April 11, 2012, the Dallas Court of Appeals reversed two sexual assault of a child convictions and a sixty-year sentence in Tran v. State. Clint Broden represented Mr. Tran on appeal and argued his case before the Court of Appeals. A few months earlier, Clint had another client’s twenty year federal money laundering conviction…
As any experienced Texas criminal defense lawyer will tell you, the vast majority of cases are resolved with a plea bargain long before they ever reach a courtroom. Plea bargains are important to prosecutors because they help efficiently clear dockets and allow them to prosecute more cases. They can also be beneficial to defendants by…
The recent death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin has garnered national attention for a number of reasons. However, most of the controversy centers on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. Passed in 2005, the law has long been controversial; critics claim that its broad provisions encourage vigilante justice. For those of you not aware of the…
An investigation by the American-Statesman has revealed that an independent forensic lab has filed a complaint against the Austin Police Department Crime Lab. The complaint claims that employees at the Austin P.D. lab either lost, contaminated, or incorrectly classified drug samples. In at least three cases, the complaint claims that these mistakes have caused significant…
According to a recent article on DallasNews.com, a prominent Dallas plaintiff’s attorney recently pleaded guilty to murder. The lawyer, Scott Marshall, pleaded guilty on January 20th to murdering Staci Michelle Montgomery, the ex-wife of Marshall’s former law partner Bady Sassin. In return for his plea, Marshall received a 40-year prison sentence. The plea hearing took…
According to a recent article in the Palestine Herald-Press, a former Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer has been indicted on multiple counts of sexual misconduct. David Wayne Green, 39, of Palestine, Texas, was indicted by the grand jury on January 19 th on three counts of sexual assault of a child and a…
GPS technology can be a wonderful thing, just ask anyone with a terrible sense of direction what a godsend it can be. While the technology has many helpful, civilian uses it can also be used for other, more insidious purposes. As a case before the U.S. Supreme Court just this week highlighted, GPS can also…
According to new research recently published in the journal Criminology, genes may be a strong predictor of whether a person becomes a career criminal. The research was conducted by University of Texas at Dallas criminologist J.C. Barnes and set out to analyze the genetic and environmental influences on criminal traits of some 4,000 people. The…
The Texas Lawyer, the statewide legal publication for Texas lawyers, named Clint Broden Appellate Lawyer of the Week in its January 16, 2012 edition. Clint received the honor for his recent criminal appeals victory in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Fifth Circuit reversed money laundering convictions against his client…