Author: Broden & Mickelsen, LLP
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…
Dallas Criminal Attorney Educates – What Is a Grand Jury? Just about everyone is familiar with the concept of a jury. Generally speaking, a jury consists of a group of people from the community who consider all the evidence in a case and, using jury instructions from the court, determine whether the prosecutor has proved…
In recent years, video footage has played an increasingly important part in criminal proceedings whether obtained from street or traffic cameras, social media video or home security systems. Recently, police in Mansfield in Texas said footage obtained from footballer Trevone Boykin’s home security video system may have captured an alleged assault on his girlfriend that…
Law Update: By Dallas Criminal Attorney Mick Mickelsen It has happened to most people: You’re driving along — maybe belting out the lyrics to your favorite song that just came on the radio — when you see red and blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror. That’s when your heart starts pounding, and your blood…
A statute of limitations sets a limit for prosecuting certain crimes. Criminal charges must be filed within the specified time period or they cannot be filed at all. Not all crimes in Texas are subject to a statute of limitations. There is a good reason why these laws are in place. Evidence deteriorates with time,…
Drug crimes are always serious. Anyone who has been charged with any kind of drug crime should work with an experienced drug offense lawyer, as the penalties for drug crimes can be extremely harsh. Furthermore, many drug crimes are prosecuted in federal court, which means they are subject to the federal sentencing guidelines. Additionally, the…
Hate crimes have been spiking across the United States in recent years. Police believe deadly explosions that killed two African-Americans in Austin may be hate crimes. Packages containing bombs exploded in the city over a 10-day period. One detonated on March 2 and two 10 days later killing two people and injuring two others. Then…
Sex crimes are generally considered to be among the most egregious offenses in the criminal justice system. In many cases, individuals convicted of a sex crime in Texas are required to register as a sex offender. It’s normal to have questions about the sex offender registry. If you’re facing sex crime charges in Texas, it’s…
In recent years, the internet has spurred a whole new area of crime. Increasingly, people use their computers to commit criminal offenses. These crimes range from identity theft and financial crimes to sex crimes like child pornography and solicitation of prostitution. Like other states, Texas punishes sex crimes that are carried out on the internet….
Texas has reduced its prison population due to reforms, but that only tells half of the story, according to a new report. While the number of male prisoners has fallen the female prison population is growing. The concerns were raised by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition in a report released last week. The report suggests…