Category Archives: Federal Government Watch

Federal Forfeiture Reform: 81% Property Seized By DOJ from People Never Charged With a Crime

Last week, the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Justice published its report on federal civil forfeiture, entitled “Review of the Department’s Oversight of Cash Seizure and Forfeiture Activities.” The full report is available online and has been stored in the Michael Lowe Digital Library for your convenience.  Read it here.  …


FBI Investigations and DOJ Prosecutions: Fighting for Your Privacy Rights

Of paramount concern to criminal defense attorneys is protecting due process and making sure that any investigation and prosecution by the government abides by constitutional protections like limited police powers, the right to privacy, and search and seizure protocols. Criminal Defense and Privacy Protections This is true for the underlying investigation into criminal activity.  It…


John Wiley Price Trial: a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s 10 Things to Know

Back in July 2014, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price was arrested by federal authorities on corruption charges.  It was a real shock.  The entire city reeled from the news of District 3’s “Our Man Downtown” being indicted. For details, read our July 2014 post “The John Wiley Price Case: a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s…


Juvenile Arrests in Texas: When Kids Are Charged With Adult Crimes

Here in Texas, there’s lots of talk about what is the right age for prosecution as an adult and not as a juvenile.  Is Texas wrong to prosecute seventeen year olds as adults?  Big hint here: the United States Supreme Court has ruled that in the United States of America, you become a legal adult…


Child Pornography: Defending Against Overreaching Investigations Using the Internet

Here in Texas, specific teams of law enforcement are dedicated to investigating, arresting, and prosecuting child pornography laws.  Their focus is solely on building cases against individuals violating either state or federal child porn statutes.   That’s fine.  Task forces have been around for years. Overreaching Child Porn Investigations Violate the Law The problem today is…


Eavesdropping on Criminal Defense Lawyers:  Attorney Overhearings as Evidence

Occasionally clients or potential clients will voice concerns about the safety of communication with their criminal defense lawyer.  It’s understandable, given all the technological advances in snooping devices. Snooping Gizmos So You Can Eavesdrop Surf online and you can find all sorts of ways to listen into phone conversations, as well as monitor things being…


FBI’s New Global Hacking Rule: Amended Federal Rule 41 Danger to Your Privacy

Last week, a letter was sent to the U.S. Attorney General signed by 23 Senators and Congressmen, both Republican and Democrat, asking for Loretta Lynch to explain how the new Federal Rule on federal search warrants for computers is going to work. Criminal defense lawyers have been worried about this new expansion of federal power…


Loss of Privacy And Arrest in Texas: Hurting Your Job, Your Relationships, Your Life

You can be arrested under either federal or state law here in Texas. We’ve discussed how those two systems work side by side here in Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas. For more on the process of being detained, arrested, and released on bail, read: Out on Bail: Pre-Trial Conditions in Dallas, Fort Worth, and…


Who’s Running Dallas? Big Changes in Law Enforcement – Know Your Rights With Police

Major changes here in Dallas in the world of crime and criminal justice. Big ones. What’s the likelihood that rights will be trampled in the process? From a criminal defense perspective, all these changes are a red flag for wrongful arrests, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and more. Why? What’s going on here in North Texas?…


Brendan Dassey Motion for Release from Jail During Appeal of Wrongful Conviction Ruling

The Motion to Release Brendan Dassey on his own recognizance (no bail bond) has been filed with the federal court that ruled he was the victim of a wrongful conviction.  Both the motion and its memorandum in support (which has all the legal arguments) have been placed in the Michael Lowe Digital Library. This supplements…