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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…
When someone is prosecuted for assault, they will often claim they were acting in self-defense against another aggressor. In fact, it’s quite common to see self-defense in news stories about people accused of seriously injuring or even killing another person. For example, in so-called “stand your ground” cases in which someone kills an intruder, the…
Being prosecuted for a criminal offense is a deeply troubling situation for anyone to find themselves in, but college students, whose professional careers have not yet even begun, have additional pressures to consider. Many institutions of higher education may expel or suspend students with criminal convictions against them, the consequences of which may affect the…
By: Clint Broden Dallas Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer While criminal cases in federal court are not often dismissed (unlike state court where dismissals happen more frequently), dismissals do happen. That is why it is important that, if you are charged with an offense in federal court, you hire an attorney with significant experience representing criminal…
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…
By: Dallas Money Laundering Defense Lawyer Mick Mickelsen – Partner Broden & Mickelsen, LLP When one hears the phrase “money laundering” one usually thinks of some activity by which illegal proceeds, such as that earned from selling narcotics, are made to appear as if they were derived from legitimate income. Most people also tend to…
A court has upheld Texas’ recently enacted “revenge porn” law that can land offenders in jail for up to a year. The state’s so-called “revenge porn” law makes it a misdemeanor to post somebody’s intimate photographs online without their consent. This month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that the law does not violate…
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…