Category Archives: Texas Government Watch
Are Texas Anti-Smuggling Laws Unconstitutional? Governor Abbott and Texas Penal Code §20.05 and §20.06
Our state government continues to take independent state action using criminal laws to try and stem all sorts of border activities involving both people and things crossing from Mexico into Texas. Recently, for instance, Governor Abbott issued an executive order announcing that two Mexican Cartels, and possibly more in the future, will be considered as…
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Texas Governor’s Designation of Mexican Cartels As Terrorist Organizations: Criminal Defense Perspective
On September 21, 2022, the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a press release with its accompanying Executive Order GA-42 and the news that, at least in the State of Texas, Mexican cartels are now considered to be “terrorist organizations” by state law enforcement. In the release, Governor Abbott explains that the growing market…
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Don’t Ever Talk to the Police! Never Give a Statement to Law Enforcement in Texas Criminal Investigation
Additional Information Provided in Addition to my YouTube video On television and in the movies, people are always giving statements to the police. In all the versions of Law & Order, for instance, the police are taking statements from people with or without their lawyer being present. In fact, it’s hard to remember an episode…
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New Texas Sex Crimes: The Online Prostitution Laws Effective September 1, 2019
Texas Penal Code Amended to Address Human Sex Trafficking Over the Internet Human trafficking laws exist at both the federal and state levels; anyone arrested on these charges faces serious felony time if convicted. However, the reality has been that federal prosecutions have been fiercer and with more bite than those charges at the state…
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Prosecutors and Police in Dallas: How Bad is It?
So, what’s going on here in Dallas County with our prosecutors and our police department? Well, there are lots of things going on right now that impact criminal justice – and criminal defense – here in North Texas. Because excessive force by the police and prosecutorial misconduct isn’t just stuff that happens in…
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New Texas Criminal Laws 2017
The regular session of the 85th Texas Legislature ended on Memorial Day. Bills not passed by the lawmakers and signed into law by the governor are dead in the water. (Abbott vetoed 50 of them.) For the bills that did not become law: well, maybe next year. Governor Abbott has called for a special session…
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Speedy Trials in Texas: Prosecuting “Killer Nurse” Genene Jones for 1981 Crime
Do you remember where you were in 1981? Were you even alive in 1981? Let’s think back … 1981 was the year: President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley; the CDC recognized the first five cases of AIDS in five homosexual men diagnosed with a “rare form of pneumonia” in Los Angeles; Donkey Kong…
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Texas Prosecutor on Trial for Prosecutorial Misconduct
Prosecutorial misconduct is a problem of epidemic proportions in this country. There is lots of discussion in criminal justice circles (and elsewhere) about how best to rein in these rogues and stop the rampant injustice created by prosecutorial misconduct. For more on the severity and seriousness of the prosecutorial misconduct problem in Texas, read our…
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Gang Crime Charges: Increasing Prosecution of Gang-Related Crimes in Texas
This week, President Trump publicly blamed former President Obama for allowing known Central American gang MS-13 to gain a foothold in the United States. See, “Trump blames Obama for formation of MS-13 crime gang,” published by the Business Insider on April 17, 2017. Two months ago, the President signed a series of three executive orders…
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Texas Needs New Asset Forfeiture Law Reform: Spread the Word
Asset forfeiture: yes, we’re back on the stump about it again. First, let’s talk about the status of the pending asset forfeiture reform legislation as of the end of February 2017. We wrote about this proposed legislation right around Christmas; see the details in “Will Texas End Civil Forfeiture in 2017?” 1. Texas Senate On…
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10 Questions to Ask Before you Hire a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer
Top 5 Mistakes in Defending a Texas Criminal Case
