Criminal Law Blog
When Dating Leads to Arrest in Texas: Dating Violence Under Texas Family Code §71.0021
In Texas, romance that erupts into physical violence between two people who are married or live together is considered domestic violence that can form the basis of some serious criminal assault charges. For more, read our earlier discussions in: Family Violence in Texas: Crimes based upon Domestic Violence – It’s More Than a Fight That…
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Plea Bargaining and Making Deals in Federal Felony Cases: Criminal Defense Overview
In both Texas prosecutions and federal criminal matters, many – if not most – arrests do not end up as a criminal conviction with formal sentencing after a full trial before a judge or jury, but instead are resolved out of the courtroom in what is called “plea bargaining.” This involves attorneys representing both the…
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Felony Charges under Texas and Federal Law: Criminal Defense Overview
No action, or failure to act, is a crime for which someone can be arrested in Texas unless the government has defined it to be an illegal act. This is the freedom at the core of our constitutional rights. Crimes have to be defined by either state or federal law. If the crime isn’t on…
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Buying Sex in Texas: Texas is First State in USA to Make Solicitation of Prostitution a Felony Offense
The term “john” is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a man who pays money to a prostitute for sex.” In some parts of the world being a john, i.e., buying sex, is legal – although that has never been the case in Texas. For instance, just a few hours’ drive south on IH-35…
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Internet Sex Crimes: Criminal Defense Overview of Texas Online Sexual Offenses
Internet sex crime charges can be filed in Texas based upon either state or federal law. These cyber-crime sexual offenses frequently involve serious felony charges, where those convicted of online sexual offenses face lengthy incarcerations as well as fines and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Considering how heinous even a rumor that someone is…
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Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child: Texas Penal Code §22.021
Perhaps no criminal prosecution is pursued more aggressively by Texas prosecutors than cases involving allegations of the sexual assault of a child. Today, more and more arrests and charges are being pursued by law enforcement regarding crimes involving child sexual abuse than ever before. Correspondingly, statistics report that in the State of Texas, 1 in…
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Online Solicitation of a Minor: Texas Penal Code §33.021
One of the many consequences of the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic has been the skyrocketing use of the internet by minors, since remote schooling for many required the ability to access the web. More children in the United States are online than ever before. Read, “Growing up on screens: How a year lived online has changed…
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Federal Prosecution: Commercial Sex Acts and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
Under federal law, anyone under the age of 18 years is considered to be a “minor” regardless of how any state statute may define the age of majority, or how sophisticated and mature the individual may appear. 18 U.S.C. § 2256(1). Minors are assumed to lack the mental ability or capacity to understand the full…
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Prominent Dallas Attorney Ray Jackson Arrest in Drug Money Laundering Scheme: a Criminal Defense Perspective
On April 8, 2021, a Criminal Complaint with its Supporting Affidavit (“Affidavit”) was filed in Case No. 3-21MJ-329 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, styled United States of America v. Rayshun Jackson. A copy of the Affidavit appears below: Who is Ray Jackson? Ray Jackson is a well-known criminal…
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Family Violence Charges: 5 Reasons to Leave Before the Police Arrive
Domestic violence, referenced as “family violence” in Texas Penal Code §71.004, is one of the most common types of 911 calls received by police in this country, with one research study suggesting that as many as 50% of all police calls historically have dealt with domestic violence complaints. See, Hendricks, J., ed. Crisis Intervention in…
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