The police have the right and duty to stop cars that are suspected of committing crimes or were going to commit crimes. One such crime is drunk driving. An officer may have reasonable suspicion that a driver is drunk if the officer witnesses the driver run a red light...
Criminal Defense
2 common mistakes law enforcement officers make in DUI cases
If you are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), a conviction can result in serious consequences. After this arrest, you are likely focused on things like having the charges reduced or dismissed. While this may seem impossible, there are methods to help...
Do you know your Fifth Amendment rights?
The United States Constitution sets standards for the rights of people who are in this country. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. One of these amendments, the Fifth Amendment, has been the subject of lawsuits based on...
Were your Fourth Amendment rights violated?
The U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protects your personal privacy. It provides the right for all citizens to be free from the unreasonable intrusion of the government into their property, businesses, homes and persons. This is true regardless of where the...
Is a ‘crime of passion’ really a defense?
You may have heard people talk about how something can be a crime of passion. This generally just means that they were suddenly exposed to an unexpected situation and they committed a crime as a result. For example, this may happen when someone who finds their spouse...
What you should know about “shopkeeper’s privilege”
As people of all ages with some extra free time hit the malls and other shopping areas this summer, store managers and employees will likely be extra watchful for shoplifters. Of course, some shoppers are watched more closely than others, whether because they’re...
Think twice about taking that five-fingered discount
Some people think that shoplifting is a petty crime that doesn’t hurt anybody. A pack of gum here; a pair of jeans there. No one will miss those items, right? Wrong. The truth is that across the nation, stores lose anywhere from $2,000-$3,000 per month to shoplifters....
Is medical marijuana legal in Texas?
Texas is well known for having some of the strictest marijuana laws in the country. Even as many other states have moved to legalize recreational marijuana, Texas has remained resistant to doing so. But what about medical marijuana? This is even more common across the...
The difference between concurrent and consecutive sentences
It’s not unusual for defendants in a criminal case to face multiple charges stemming from a single arrest. For example, you could end up facing charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI), resisting arrest, assault on a police officer, drug possession and possession of...
Is it illegal to lie to the police?
When you're approached by a police officer, you may feel apprehensive that they're just going to dig around for anything they can think of to arrest you. To avoid this, you may consider simply lying to them when they ask you questions. But are you going to cause more...