Category Archives: Arrest and Indictment
Texas Millionaire John Goodman Retrial For Drunk Driving Vehicular Manslaughter: Lessons in Zealous Criminal Defense
This story starts in February 2010 over in Florida, in a town about the same distance north of Miami as Austin is to San Antonio. John Goodman, a Texas native and heir to a huge family fortune built by his daddy down in Houston, was driving his convertible Bentley extremely fast when he crashed into…
Dallas County Marijuana Arrests: In 2015, Dallas Police Not Busting for Pot
Dallas police officers stop people for being high or possessing pot all the time; often, these encounters result in arrests that are not based upon serious felony charges leading to significant jail time upon conviction. Lots are misdemeanor charges. Bottom line, many of the marijuana arrests in our area are for relatively small amounts of…
Dallas Ebola Victim: No Evidence of Intent to Deceive; DA Assault Charges Were Wacky
Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan died early this morning at Texas Presbyterian Hospital here in Dallas, where he had been quarantined and isolated from all human contact for the past 14 days. It’s sad to think that Thomas Duncan died alone. Our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones who are grieving their loss…
Texas Police Can Get Your Phone Records From Phone Company Without a Warrant: Ford v. State
This week, there’s lots of concern about cell phone security and phone privacy rights. Why? Thousands of celebrity nude photos have been posted online by a hacker for all to see (with the promise of more to come). Now the FBI has begun investigating how the cell phone pix were stolen (hacked) from private accounts…
Defense Lessons of the Dallas Crime Lab and the Michael Phillips Exoneration
The Dallas Crime Lab has made the national news (along with the history books) by being the first crime lab to have its DNA evidence form the basis of a wrongful conviction exoneration where the defendant didn’t move for the re-testing of the crime lab results. This is a big national news story. You can…
Drug Free Zones in Texas: Serious Issue for Defendants Arrested for Drug Crimes
If you have to be arrested for drug possession in Texas, then try and make sure you’re not busted in a designated “Drug Free Zone.” Why? If you are caught with illegal drugs by law enforcement in a Drug Free Zone, then you’re going to be facing more serious and severe sentencing and more time…
Sexual Assault Charges in Texas: More Often, Women are Accused of Sex Crimes
Sexual assault arrests in Texas are life-changing situations: anyone busted for sexual assault here faces serious felony charges with the possibility of a long sentence in a Texas state prison. Just being arrested by police on a charge of “sexual assault” can cause major and permanent damage to someone’s reputation and relationships both personally and…
PRE-ARREST CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
Pre-Arrest Texas Criminal Investigations: Police Investigations, Federal Investigations before Arrest As a Texas Board Certified Criminal Lawyer, I have experienced first-hand the lengths to which criminal investigators, law enforcement agencies, and police officers can go to try and find enough documents, paperwork, and witness statements to attempt and put together enough evidence to arrest or…
Seal Broken by Judge Today and Now We Know How The Police Are Eavesdropping on Public With Stingray Devices
For a long while, criminal defense lawyers along with civil rights activists as well as citizens who have been arrested by law enforcement in Police Departments all over the country have known that police have been using new technology to eavesdrop on phone calls and text messages. That’s not news. It’s been a real big…
Police Brutality in Texas? Robert Tolan Wins as 1983 Excessive Force Case Returned to Trial by US Supreme Court
Robert Tolan fights for justice. How many other Texans have 1983 excessive force cases against police officers that they are afraid to file? Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court reversed the decision of our own Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appellate court that grades the papers of federal criminal trial courts…
