Blog

What Happens If I Ignore a Subpoena?

If you have received a subpoena, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. You might even feel nervous or upset. After all, it can be frightening to receive an official document from the justice system that has your name on it. Are you in trouble? Will you go to jail over this? First, it’s…

How Illegal Re-entry Can Be a Federal Crime

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…

crime

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…

Supreme Court's Collins v. Virginia Decision and Vehicle Searches

In a May 2018 decision, Collins v. Virginia, the United States Supreme Court held in an 8-1 decision that a police officer couldn’t venture into a private home’s “curtilage” for the purpose of conducting a warrantless search of a vehicle. The Definition of Curtilage Curtilage is one of those legal terms you might hear and…

voter fraud

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…

What Should I Expect at a Criminal Sentencing?

Once someone has been convicted of a crime by a judge or jury, his or her case moves on to the sentencing stage. In the event an individual accepts a plea bargain, they will also go through the sentencing process. An individual is also sentenced if they take a plea bargain from the prosecutor. Most…

What Is Revenge Porn?

Before the internet, it was much easier for people to lose contact or drift apart. After a bad break up, you might move away and never have to worry about bumping into an old ex. Now that social media and smartphones are everywhere, however, keeping your distance is much harder than it used to be…

dna

During police investigations, many other people often give DNA evidence to be eliminated from an inquiry. However, a new study compiled this summer points to widespread errors in how laboratories analyze DNA and dangers for people who provide samples. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology provided 105 laboratories with the same DNA…

domestic violence

Texas has a wide definition of domestic violence crimes. Although we often think of domestic violence offenses occurring between husbands and wives or people who are dating, there are many more classifications. The Lone Star State recognizes three distinct crimes of domestic violence, namely domestic assault, aggravated domestic assault and continuous violence against the family….

White-Collar Crime in Dallas: What You Need to Know About Wire Fraud

Lawyers for white-collar crime in Dallas must find strong defenses to help clients accused of wire fraud. Learn about these defense strategies. White-collar crimes in Dallas don’t get as much attention as violent felonies because they don’t involve physical injury or physical damage, so the public tends to be less interested in these offenses. But…