Category Archives: InDepth Articles
ICE Hold to Immigration Bond: Can the ICE Detainer Be Lifted?
Understanding Your Legal Strategy When Facing Both Criminal Charges and Immigration Detention in Texas By Michael Lowe, Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist Criminal Charges and Immigration Bond In Texas, when a state trooper or local police officer arrests someone and takes them into custody, that person is fingerprinted as part of the arrest process….
Grand Jury vs Jury: Indictment and Defense
Grand Jury vs Jury: An overview of Grand Jury Proceedings from a criminal defense lawyer’s standpoint. There are two kinds of juries in Texas: “petit juries” and “grand juries.” In criminal cases, a “petit jury” is selected to serve in a particular trial to decide on the defendant’s guilt or innocence. A “grand jury” never…
Federal Investigations: Target Letter
Target Letter and Invitations to Testify before a Grand Jury Can be a Red Flag You Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer Federal agencies along with the prosecutors at the Office of the Attorney General for the United States (“AUSAs”) undertake criminal investigations throughout the State of Texas that are independent of any state or local…
The Importance of a Probable Cause Affidavit in Texas Criminal Defense
If you asked most criminal defense attorneys to rank the most important documents in a drug possession or sexual assault case, you’d probably hear about the indictment, offense report, lab results, body camera footage, or witness statements. While all of these matter, I believe one document stands above the rest: the probable cause affidavit. As…
Top 10 Things to Know If You Are Being Investigated by Federal Agents: Lawyer’s Recommendations
No arrest, no contact by law enforcement? Think you’re being watched? From a criminal defense perspective, it’s not about paranoia; it’s being prepared. The following article dovetails with my 13 minute YouTube video, “Federal Investigations: Top 10 Do’s and Don’t List,” where I discuss the following, going into more detail on things like how detention…
Five Things To Know About a Texas Search Warrant Before You’re Served
Key takeaways: In any law enforcement investigation, the officers, deputies, or agents must build a case and this usually requires search warrants to seize evidence for use by the prosecution. The search warrant must be supported by a sworn affidavit signed by law enforcement that explains there is probable cause to invade your privacy and…
Drug Manufacture or Delivery in Texas: Things You Need to Know
There are some things, either grown or man-made, that are considered illegal under either state or federal law. In legal lingo, they are called “controlled substances.” Just having them in your possession can get you arrested. However, if you go the next step and try to make money with them, either in the manufacture of…
Defenses for Solicitation of Prostitution Felony Charges
Arrested for Buying Sex in Texas: Serious Consequences In Texas, anyone arrested for buying sex – or trying to buy sex even if there’s no actual payment or no sex involved – faces a felony conviction with serious time behind bars. Texas was the first state in the nation to boost the crime from a…
Solicitation of Prostitution Arrests in Texas: Targeting the Johns
Being arrested for buying sex – or trying to – in Texas, means sex buyers now face felony charges with serious time behind bars. The business of selling sex to willing buyers has been around for a very, very, very long time. Literally thousands of years: historians can date prostitution back to 2400 B.C., where…
The Job of the U.S. Marshal: Arrest & Detention on Federal Matters in Texas
There are times when the U.S. Marshals Service will not share any information with loved ones after an initial arrest here in Texas. When a sealed warrant or sealed indictment is involved, all the family will know is their loved one has been arrested. That’s it. For more detail, read What You Don’t Know Can…
