Category: Criminal Defense
A decision by a police officer not to charge a pickup truck driver who allegedly taunted bicyclists in Texas before hitting and injuring them has been questioned by the cycling community. Police in Waller County, Texas, confirmed six cyclists were hit by a pickup truck in September. Three of the riders suffered serious injuries. The…
Defendants in Texas are entitled to a fair trial but that does not always happen. This month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals tossed out the capital murder conviction and death sentence imposed on Clinton Young, a man on death row. The court heard how one of his prosecutors also worked for the judge. The…
Dallas, TX Apple recently announced that new software it will release later this year will scan users iCloud Photos for sexually explicit images of minors and report these images to appropriate authorities. The update will scan iPhones and iPads for known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a database compiled by the National Center for…
Defendants who are charged with violent or sexual crimes may find it more difficult to bond out of jail pretrial following legislation passed in the Texas legislature earlier this month. A report on Houston Public Media noted House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 6 would prevent a defendant from being released on a personal recognizance…
Mass shootings are tragic, high-profile, and often chaotic. The pressure is on police to make arrests quickly after shootings. On occasions, law enforcement officers make mistakes. Associated Press recently reported police have dropped charges against two juveniles after investigators identified a different shooter in an incident in downtown Austin that left a tourist dead and…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has vetoed some high-profile criminal justice bills presented to him at the end of this year’s legislative session including a move to allow earlier parole and legislation intended to restrict the use of hypnosis in the criminal justice system. Bills vetoed by Abbott over the weekend included House Bill 686, which…
A federal case in Texas illustrates how the internet has widened the scope of hate crime laws in the United States. A man from Dallas pleaded guilty this month to one hate crime stemming from a scheme that targeted gay men on the dating app Grindr. Daniel Jenkins, 22, pleaded guilty to one hate crime…
Texas is on course to become the latest state to lift gun permitting rules after Republican lawmakers reached a deal this month. The bill will allow people to carry handguns in public without a license or training, clearing the path for Texas to become the latest state to remove penalties for carrying a gun without…
People have a right to protest peacefully under the First Amendment. However, it’s illegal to obstruct the roadway if it prevents the passing of emergency vehicles. This month, the Texas House passed a bill that would increase criminal penalties and require jail time for people who block highways during protests if their action impedes emergency…
Police reform bills were introduced across the country after the shocking death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year. Texas was no exception. At the end of last month, the Texas House approved three reform measures that form part of a larger raft of legislation relating to police conduct. A jury convicted Derek Chauvin, a…