Category Archives: Wrongfully Accused
Bite Mark Evidence Isn’t Reliable But It’s Still Used Against Defendants in Texas
Lots of criminal defense attorneys have their fingers crossed here in Texas, hoping that sooner rather than later everyone is going to acknowledge and understand that bite mark evidence isn’t worthy of respect much less use in a criminal case where someone’s freedom is in jeopardy. For many years, defense lawyers have recognized that evidence…
Police Who Lie On the Witness Stand: Did You Know Prosecutors Keep Lists of Their Names?
It wasn’t until 1963 that the U.S. Supreme Court forced prosecutors to do the right thing and share all the facts about a case with defense lawyers before they tried someone for a serious crime and tried to get a conviction. In the case of Brady v. Maryland, John Brady had been convicted of murder…
Unjustly Accused of Sexual Assault: When Rape Allegations Aren’t True There’s Still a Victim
Rapes and sexual assaults do happen in here in the Dallas – Fort Worth area, as they do all around the State of Texas, and these are horrible, life-changing events for the victims (both men and women). However, as criminal defense lawyers who represents people accused of rape and sexual assault know well, there is…
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…
Prosecutorial Misconduct in Texas: Continuing Injustice
For criminal defense lawyers in Texas, the idea that prosecutors are human and sometimes do very bad things isn’t news. It’s something to be monitored during every case and almost every day you ask yourself the question: is the prosecutor trying to pull a fast one here? Real life isn’t like TV shows, albeit even…
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…
Texas Police Interrogations: Constitutional Protections Exist, Do You Know Your Rights Should Police Question You?
Police interrogations happen all the time here in Dallas, and over in Fort Worth as well as the rest of Texas and around the country. Texas law enforcement officers (troopers, police officers, deputies) arrest people then interrogate them and take people into interrogation rooms for questioning as part of crime investigation routinely. These actions are…
Junk Science Causing Wrongful Convictions in Texas: Will New 2013 Habeas Corpus Law Help Those Wrongfully Convicted in Texas?
This Friday, the Texas Forensic Science Commission is meeting down in Austin, and one the big topics that will be on the table there will be the big, big problem of “junk science” being used by Texas prosecutors to get convictions against people – wrongful convictions. The TFSC has also issued its 200+ page 2013…
Prosecutorial Misconduct Rules Issued by Texas Supreme Court: Where is Michael Morton’s Prosecutor, Ken Anderson, Now?
Prosecutors do bad things all the time here in Texas; if you doubt this, just read a few of the stories we’ve posted about regarding abusive and illegal actions by District Attorneys here in the Lone Star State. These state prosecutors do all sorts of illegal acts, from hiding evidence and introducing false evidence in…
Salinas v Texas: Your Silence During Police Interrogation Does Not Get 5th Amendment Protection, Can Be Used Against You as Evidence of Guilt to the Jury
Well, prosecutors and police officers are happy today, because the United States Supreme Court just came down their way in the case of Salinas v. Texas (more about that pending case here). It’s not too far off to imagine that interrogation training is already being revised in Dallas and across the State of Texas…