Criminal Law Blog
Texas DPS Labs Bottlenecked So They Aren’t Testing for Misdemeanor BAC or Drug Evidence (K2, Salvia, Spice, etc.) Now – Unless a DA Specifically Requests It.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) did not get much media brouhaha over a recent change in its operating procedures, but something has changed in the way that DPS does things that will impact many, many Texans (and others) who are charged with misdemeanors involving blood alcohol or drug testing. In the past, the…
Another Texas Jail Scandal: Six Harris County Jail Employees Fired in Sex With Inmates Misconduct Charges
The disrepute of Texas Jails just got bigger since it’s becoming national news that over in Houston, six employees at the Harris County Jail have been fired from their jobs because of allegations of sexual misconduct and failure to take actions to stop the misconduct on the part of those that should have done so….
Houston Police Officer Shoots Wheelchair-bound, Double Amputee in Head: FBI Investigates, World Watches
Texas justice is once again making international news coverage – in a bad way – as this week’s tragic shooting by an experienced Houston police officer makes its way around the world and as things continue to escalate in the Houston area. It all started last Saturday night, when Houston Police responded to a domestic…
Maximum Guideline Recommendation—> Statutory Minimum Sentence
Federal Transportation of Child Pornography, Client Gets Minimum
Dallas Police Excessive Force: 16 Officer Involved Shootings in 2012 – Over 1 Each Month and 50% Are Fatal
Police officers are trusted by you and me to carry guns, pistols, stun guns, and other weapons on their bodies as they drive the streets and walk alongside us and our kids because they are doing the job of protecting and serving the public. So when cops decide to use their weapons to harm or…
Houston Police Bust Woman Whose Cardboard Sign Warns Drivers of Speed Trap Ahead: Police Pocketbook vs Free Speech?
How often on the Texas roads you’ve driven have you seen motorists on the other side of the road or highway, traveling in the opposite direction, flashing their lights at you or simply driving in the daytime with their headlights on? You slow down, don’t you – because you know that for many Texans, this…
Whistleblower Gregory London Back On The Job With Back Pay After Blowing Whistle About Dallas County Constable Derick Evans Campaign Antics
This week, Gregory London returned to his job at the Dallas County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office after being reinstated by the Dallas County Civil Service Commission, which also awarded London back pay and benefits covering the time he was out of work after spilling the beans about his boss to an ex-agent of the Federal…
Fort Worth Police Department Starts Doing Its Own DNA Testing at Fort Worth Crime Lab. Feel Safer?
Over in Fort Worth, they had the fancy Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Fort Worth Police Department Crime Laboratory (and Property and Evidence Room) almost two years ago – back on August 23, 2010. You can see photos of the ribbon cutting online at the Fort Worth Police Department website where the department explains…
Aransas Pass Police Caught on Video Beating Matias Vera: Texas Police Department Faces Another Allegation of Evildoing.
Call it “police brutality” or “excessive force,” but anytime someone in law enforcement abuses their power with physical violence, it’s not something that should be tolerated by anyone, anywhere – much less the local law enforcement officials, city councils, or state and federal authorities. So it’s rather shocking that we’re reading yet ANOTHER news story…
Eyewitness Testimony and Prosecutorial Misconduct Spotlighted Again as Texas Executed Another Innocent Man: the Wrongful Prosecution of Carlos DeLuna
In what universe does anyone really believe that eyewitness testimony is reliable? Really? We’ve written before about how criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors alike are well aware that witnesses are notoriously unreliable in giving accurate information about a crime. For example, read our earlier post discussing a Dallas Morning News expose where the Dallas County…