Category Archives: Arrest and Indictment
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…
More Texas DWI Convictions Will Be Overturned Because of Warrantless Blood Draws
Over in Tyler, somebody had a very good day recently – specifically, Samuel Gentry who saw his lawyer win a DWI appeal before the Tyler Court of Appeals and get his 3d DWI conviction overturned along with the Life Sentence he was serving. Warrantless Blood Draw in DWI Case What happened? The police…
Ray Rice and When Couples Get Violent: Felony Charges in Dating and Marriage
Things exploded on the web this week when TMZ.com published a video caught by a hotel elevator cam of NFL star Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens punching his fiance (now his wife) Janay Palmer so hard that she fell unconscious to the floor of the elevator. Things only got worse as the video shows…
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…
Marijuana Tourism and Texas: The Lesson of Jacob Lavoro
As marijuana product lines flourish and recreational marijuana is legalized in nearby Colorado, what does it mean to Dallas? Serious charges in you’re caught with pot in any form: Texas law has not changed. Today, nineteen year old Jacob Lavoro and his family got some great news: the Williamson County District Attorney decided to drop…
The Mike Brown Law: Will Police Be Required to Wear Body Cameras?
As the events in Ferguson, Missouri, continue to unfold, a proposed new law is being advanced for all law enforcement in this country, the “Mike Brown Law.” It would require all police officers to wear a camera as part of their uniform, so all their actions on the job would be recorded. The campaign for…
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…
The John Wiley Price Case: a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Predictions
First things first, the recent arrest of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price is a big deal here in Dallas. News of the FBI arresting Mr. Price on corruption charges came as a huge shock to many people in our neck of the woods. Some folk are still reeling from the news. Why?…
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…