Criminal Law Blog
Report on Crime Lab Evidence Released: DPS Lab Tech Jonathan Salvador May Have Sent 1000s to Texas Prisons in Wrongful Convictions – and the CCA is Reversing The Convictions
Juries are known by criminal defense lawyers and prosecutors alike to consider forensic evidence as being irrefutable and some of the most respected evidence in a criminal trial. Juries like lab stuff: it’s known as the “CSI effect” by some roaming around the courthouse, and it has nothing to do with the realities of what…
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Cell Phone Information: Police Investigators Can Grab Tons of Personal Information Off Smart Phones Without a Warrant
The mysterious shooting deaths of two Kaufman County prosecutors, as well as one of their wives, is taking up lots of media coverage as well as lots of chatter around Dallas area courthouse hallways. The investigation into these deaths is ongoing, and there’s no clear answer as to what has happened here. You’ve probably heard…
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Dallas Cowboys Josh Brent Intoxication Manslaughter Trial Date Set for September 2013 as DWI Manslaughter Plea Bargain Remains a Possibility
Whether or not a deal will be negotiated remains to be seen, but right now Dallas Cowboys’ Josh Brent is scheduled for a September 23, 2013, criminal trial on charges of intoxication manslaughter. The Dallas Cowboys have confirmed that with these pending criminal proceedings, defensive tackle Josh Brent will not be playing pro football this…
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Texas Legislature Considers New Marijuana Law That Would Make Punishment for Marijuana Possession of One Ounce or Less a $500 Fine With No Jail Time
The Texas Legislature is in session right now and one thing that is being considered by the lawmakers this year is a new law proposed by Representative Harold V. Dutton, Jr., an attorney from Houston, that would change longstanding marijuana laws here in Texas. The bill, HR 184, was considered in a public hearing before…
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Dallas County Sexual Assault Case No Billed
2nd Degree Felony Sexual Assault Case No Billed by the Dallas County Grand Jury
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FBI Investigating Dallas DA Craig Watkins — and U.S. Attorney Is Involved, Too, as Watkins Charged with Contempt of Court Last Week
It’s official: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the activities of the Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. The Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas is reported to have its own files opened into Dallas DA Watkins’ activities, as well. And this isn’t something that has just begun:…
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Texas Weapons Charges: ATF Stings Result in All Kinds of Firearms Convictions – Straw Buys, Gun Dealers, Conspiracies to Move Weapons Across State Lines and National Borders
Weapons charges face a lot of defendants here in Texas; sometimes they are tied to other charges (drug arrests, for example) but many federal cases are filed based solely on alleged violations of federal gun laws. Recent reports from the Texas’ offices of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the…
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Money Laundering and the Black Market Peso Exchange: Big Target for Federal Agency Investigations
For many profit-making enterprises that operate outside the law, business revenues and profits mean lots of cash that needs to be moved from stacks on a table or in a safe (or set of safes) into places where it can be used to buy things without raising eyebrows or the suspicions of law enforcement. This…
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2 Class “A” Assault Reduced to Class “C”; Interfering With 911 dismissed
3 Family Violence Cases Will Be Expunged
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Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins Facing Prosecutorial Misconduct Charges and Maybe an FBI Investigation: Here’s the Scoop (The Hearing is March 7th)
Without any opinions or asides, here’s the scoop on the growing controversy surrounding Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Al Hill III, heir to the H.L. Hunt Oil Dynasty; and local attorney Lisa Blue. Things apparently began when Lisa Blue took on the representation of Al Hill III in…
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