Know Your Rights Before You are Arrested
Everybody who has watched cop shows on television probably has heard what is known as the Miranda warning, the recitation of certain rights you have that police officers are required to recite to suspects when they are arrested. Of course, while you are being arrested is probably not a great time to try and learn […]
Child Pornography Charges Can Ruin Your Life
Child pornography charges – even just the mention of such charges – can easily ruin your life, no conviction necessary. The damage to your reputation, your relationships, even your continued employment, that can be wreaked by child pornography charges can be incalculable. Simply being charged is likely to cause everyone you know and work with […]
Texas Takes Crimes Seriously, Including Identity Theft
Texas has a reputation for being tough on crime. That reputation is well-deserved, and it is well-deserved whether you are talking about since-the-dawn-of-civilization crimes, such as homicide, theft, or all of the other thou-shalt-nots, or you are talking about more modern crimes not dreamed of by our ancestors, such as identity theft. Texas takes a […]
Texas Gambling Laws are Pretty Strict and Confusing
If the only thing you know about the legality of gambling in Texas comes from movies or from the fact that one form of poker is known as Texas Hold ‘Em, you probably have some misconceptions about Texas gambling laws. Just for starters, you can play Texas Hold ‘Em all you want in Texas, just […]
Simple Drug Possession Charges Might Not be Simple
Texas has a reputation for being hard on criminal offenders, including those charged with drug crimes. There is no question that the reputation is well-deserved. Texas tends to treat crime seriously and often imposes stiff sentences, including for drug crimes. However, Texas’ approach to drug crimes, particularly minor drug crimes, is changing. While fairly stiff […]
What are Your Rights When You are Stopped by Police?
When you are pulled over by the police while you are in your car, you have rights. You also have rights if the police stop you when you are not in your vehicle. Whether you are walking along a sidewalk, sitting on a park bench, or in any other public place, if the police stop […]
Texas is Tough on Drug Crime
Texas has a longstanding reputation for being tough on crime, and the state’s stance on drug crimes is no different. Texas has some of the nation’s harshest penalties for drug crimes, as is so often the case with other crimes in Texas. However, while Texas has a well-deserved reputation for being tough on crime, including […]
Being Under Grand Jury Investigation is Cause for Concern
Grand juries in American jurisprudence have their roots in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.” The purpose of a grand jury is to determine whether probable […]
Criminal Homicide Encompasses Many Crimes
You can make the argument that not all slayings are equal in the eyes of the law, but they are all serious. Homicide includes every kind of killing at the hands of another person, but criminal homicide is, by definition, always criminal. Even so, there are levels of criminal homicide based on culpability and other […]
There are Many Consequences for a Felony Conviction
If you are convicted of a felony, you might think that the immediate legal consequences are as bad as things are going to get. You would be wrong. The expense of your defense, the prison time, and any fines you might have to pay would seem to be punishment enough. While the state penal system […]