Category: Criminal Charges
Gun crime in Dallas has made headlines in recent years and prompted Gov. Greg Abbot to send in state police last year. Another spike in shootings means state police are returning to city streets. The weekend of Nov. 14-15 was the deadliest of the year in the city. Police responded to seven fatal shootings. The Dallas…
Texas routinely leads the nation in sex trafficking crimes. The state’s massive size and its long border with Mexico make it the focus of major investigations into these offenses. This month, the North Texas Trafficking Task Force announced the arrest of a 46-year-old man on a count of promotion of prostitution and reckless disregard of…
Prosecutions for white-collar crimes are continuing to fall in the United States, according to a university that has tracked the figures for the last three decades. Syracuse University predicts the number of federal prosecutions for crimes like fraud and insider dealing is on course to fall to 5,175 by the end of the year, half…
The violent crime spike experienced in Dallas in 2019 appeared to be random. However, a new study reveals it follows patterns and was linked to apartment complexes, used-goods stores, gas stations, and car washes. The study by Child Poverty Action Lab found the incidence of violent crimes to be higher around certain places. However, it…
Coercing a student to consume alcohol or take drugs during initiations known as hazing, is linked to a steady stream of deaths in Texas. Legislation passed in 2019 toughened up the laws against hazing on state campuses. This month, the House Higher Education Committee met at the Capitol to discuss if the new legislation went…
The decision of Texas lawmakers to legalize hemp last year had wide-ranging and unforeseen consequences. Although the legislation did not address marijuana, prosecutors started to drop hundreds of low-level marijuana possession charges. Now the City of Austin is considering its own solution by effectively decriminalizing possession of small amounts of pot altogether. The Austin City…
Scammers who use false numbers to make calls are a daily annoyance for many people in Texas. Making spoof calls can now be an offense after two new bills were enacted in 2019. One of the new, little-known laws imposed civil penalties on telemarketers who violate the rules while the other imposed criminal penalties. State…
A few years ago, teens vaping was an alarming trend. Now vaping at their Texas schools could leave students facing felony charges. Schools are resorting to Draconian measures to deal with a dramatic rise in teen vaping. Some are using the criminal law to its full force. It’s an alarming development that could land some…
Texas has made moves to reduce its massive prison population in recent years. Some experts say the state’s reforms don’t go far enough as prisons struggle with rising health care costs associated with older inmates. Texas Department of Criminal Justice revealed the cost of prison health care rose more than 50% over the last seven…
A standoff between Texas Governor Gregg Abbott and the City of Austin over the state capital’s liberal homelessness laws has led to a debate over the criminalization of people without a roof over their heads. Although it’s not necessarily a crime to be homeless in Texas many cities and counties make it an offense to…