Category: News
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…
Few crimes have caused the degree of national outcry and soul-searching as the killing of 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso last summer. Now the North Texas man accused of the mass shooting has been charged with hate crimes and nearly 100 federal crimes. Patrick Crusius has been charged with both federal…
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…
Prisons in Texas are notoriously dangerous. Inmates have died of extreme heat and suffered illness. In recent years, the deaths of three inmates at the hands of guards highlighted the hazards. According to the Texas Tribune, three prison deaths occurred at the hands of guards in as many years in the Lone Star State. One…
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…
Police in Texas have struggled since last year to arrest people for the possession of marijuana following the state legislature’s legalization of hemp. The process may become easier after March when new testing equipment will allow police to make the distinction between legal hemp and unlawful marijuana. Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey, who is a…
Hundreds of defendants appeal court decisions every year. At Broden & Mickelsen, LLP, our criminal defense lawyers represent many people who fight their convictions in higher courts. The appeals process is far from straightforward. This month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a decision by the 7th Court of Appeals reversing the murder-for-hire conviction…
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…
Cesar Fierro spent four decades on death row in Texas. The threat of the death penalty was abruptly removed in late December when Texas’ highest ranking court decided he was given faulty jury instructions at his trial. Judges at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated the Mexican national’s death sentence in December, citing incorrect…