Author: Broden & Mickelsen, LLP
Asset forfeiture, the process in which police seize the goods of suspected criminals, is happening on a massive scale in Texas. Even when suspects are cleared, they often still lose their cars, cash, and other goods to police, a new investigation has found. The Texas Tribune looked at 560 asset forfeiture cases in 2016, which…
Many drivers who are pulled over by police in Texas or elsewhere are unaware of their rights. This can lead to dangerous confrontations with police that result in arrests and worse. It’s important to know your rights during a Texas police traffic stop. Although thousands of traffic stops take place without incident every day in…
Bail reform in Texas has been widely discussed after federal judges branded the system in Dallas and Houston unconstitutionally. The Texas House passed a reform bill to address the problem this month. The legislation would improve training for people who make bail decisions. Critics say it doesn’t go far enough. The Texas House approved a…
Few cases in Texas have proved as controversial in recent years as that of Sandra Bland. The African American woman was locked up in a Texas jail cell after an altercation with a trooper. She took her life three days after her arrest. The Bland case led to changes in the law and questions over…
The recent execution of a 49-year-old man in Texas drew a line under a grisly crime that provided a template for hate crime laws in Texas and across the nation. John William King, an avowed racist, was executed by lethal injection in Texas on April 24. The execution was carried out 21 years after King…
White-collar crime investigations are often complex and defendants routinely receive tough sentences. Earlier this month, the former aide to ex-U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman was sentenced to 18 months in prison for helping the former Congressman carry out a campaign finance scam which prosecutors described as a “white-collar crime spree.” Jason Posey was also ordered to…
Do you know your rights if you get stopped by the police? What if a police officer knocks on your door? For most people, the idea of being questioned by a cop is intimidating and even a little scary. If you don’t know what to say, along with what not to say, you could end…
Voter fraud has been a major issue in Texas in recent years amid high-profile prosecutions of people who voted when they were ineligible. However, claims that as many as 95,000 Texans were committing voter fraud unraveled in February. David Whitley, the Acting Secretary of State of Texas, came under fire for a report that questioned…
Texas prisons are dangerous places for a host of reasons. Despite being in areas where summer temperatures soar, many of them lack air conditioning. The cost of installing air conditioning in uncooled prisons was raised in the Texas legislature last month. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice put a $1 billion price tag on cooling…
A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a temporary reprieve to a Texas inmate facing the death penalty because his spiritual adviser was not present has sparked a feud among the justices. Patrick Murphy was among a group of inmates who escaped from a Texas prison in 2000. He committed a series of…