Blog
Every day at least one potential client asks me, “What can you do for me?” It is natural enough. A person has been charged with a crime; they are concerned about their future; and they are confronted with the expensive prospect of hiring a lawyer to defend them against the charges. Before they make that…
The arrest of teachers inevitably makes news headlines. The Dallas Morning News recently reported on how a Richardson ISD teacher who was arrested last week on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy later told police that he has HIV. The news report said Roger Kessler, 43, told investigators he hadn’t revealed his medical condition…
Gangs represent a “significant public safety threat” in Texas, and are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in many communities, a new report by the Department of Public Safety has concluded. The report says gang activity is particularly prevalent in West Texas close to the border with Mexico which has a major problem with…
A damning report into the way crime is handled in Ferguson, MO., has confirmed that not all local criminal justice systems are equal and some are riddled with bad practices. This month the Justice Department called on Ferguson, Mo., to “overhaul its criminal justice system, declaring that the city had engaged in so many constitutional…
A police operation of an alleged stolen car and monster truck ring has illustrated how a criminal investigation can quickly spiral. On Feb. 26, the Dallas Morning News reported how David Campbell, 57, from Hutchins in Dallas County was accused of stealing a monster truck from a Plano parking lot. Police say he reported the…
Recently the Dallas Morning News reported on how some police office relish the chance to arrest scofflaws during the Great Texas Warrant Roundup “as if it were spring break.” The round-up targets offenders who have evaded low-level violations such as traffic citations. Although these violations do not carry heavy sentences if they are quickly processed,…
Child pornography charges are taken very seriously and dealt with by the federal authorities. We wrote about the difficulty of defending child pornography cases here. Recently, the Dallas Morning News reported on how a 38-year-old man from Little Elm was sentenced to federal prison on child pornography violations, according to a press release from the…
A Dallas County District Attorney has been accused of violating a law that states all crime victims have the right to be informed of all proceedings that relate to their case. A report in USA Today described how the Texas Bill of Rights states that crime victims have the right to be informed of all…
Christmas and New Year sees a stepping up in police enforcement aimed at preventing intoxicated drivers. Additional patrols combined with a large number of holiday parties typically mean a spike in the number of drivers who are arrested for DUIs. There is also often an increase in deaths and injuries caused by drivers who are…
Capital murder is the most serious charge that can be brought in Texas. Generally speaking, the penalty for capital murder is death or life in prison without parole. This month a jury in Houston convicted a teenager of capital murder in the death of a girl who prosecutors say was killed as part of a…