Author: Broden & Mickelsen, LLP
Dogs have a much more highly developed sense of smell than humans, so it makes sense that police use them as working animals for a variety of purposes. Canine units can search for missing persons, detect explosive devices, and sniff for the presence of illegal substances. On the other hand, the Fourth Amendment gives citizens…
It’s probably fair to say that most people get their information about the criminal justice system from television and movies. While much of it is accurate, the process usually looks a lot different in reality. When you’re charged with a crime, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed and afraid. What will happen to you? What rights…
Texas is still clearing more people than the rest of the country after miscarriages of justice, but the state’s exoneration rate is falling. For years, issues with a backlog of drug cases in Harris County meant Texas led the nation in exonerations. In 2017, the Lone Star State recorded 23 exonerations, reported the Texas Tribune….
Negative interactions with police officers in Texas have made headlines in recent years. Tragedies such as the death of Sandra Bland led to the Community Safety Act. The legislation aims to teach high school students how to deal with traffic stops by police. The Texas Education Agency recently sent school districts educational material to instruct…
Sex trafficking is a serious offense in Texas and one that has been on the radar of Governor Greg Abbott this year. Recently, a North Texas man was accused of manipulating hundreds of women as part of a North Texas sex trafficking ring. He was also charged with compelling prostitution, money laundering, and tampering with…
The execution of a man accused of killing a store worker during a robbery at a Fort Worth gas station in 2010 has been delayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals after his attorneys argued he is mentally ill. The execution of 42-year-old Kwame Rockwell was set for Oct. 24. Rockwell and two other…
The crime of drug trafficking is becoming increasingly sophisticated, a fact illustrated by the recent sentencing of a French dealer en route to Texas who set up an elaborate online trafficking scheme on the dark web. French international drug dealer Gal Vallerius was recently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking. He…
Immigration is always a hot-button political issue, now so more than ever. People have very strong opinions on immigration, especially in border states like Texas. Unfortunately, the immigration debate can often result in a great deal of misinformation and confusion about the nuts and bolts of how the law works surrounding entry and reentry into…
Texas saw a rise in crime in 2017 as the number of police officers fell in the state, according to FBI data released in September. Crime has been creeping up in the Lone Star State for two consecutive years. The FBI’s annual compilation of crime statistics revealed there were 1.5 officers per 1,000 population in…
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…