Category: Criminal Defense

When it comes to the criminal justice system, knowledge is power. It is beneficial to be aware of what defines certain criminal violations as well as the potential penalties should a person be convicted of such a violation. Many types of crimes are subdivided into levels of severity with certain aggravating factors raising the...

Let’s face it, having a criminal record can make life tough. It can come up and cause problems on your employment applications. It can cause problems on housing applications. Fortunately, if you have been charged with a crime in Texas, you may be eligible for deferred adjudication. What is Deferred Adjudication? Deferred adjudication is comparable to...

There is a lot of legal jargon that is thrown around in conversation, on the news, and elsewhere. Sometimes, it gets all jumbled up and ends up being misused in everyday life. The legal terms “burglary” and “robbery,” for instance, are often used interchangeably. The reality is, however, that they are two separate crimes...

There are some legal terms that are used interchangeably, even though there are distinct differences between them. Two such words are “probation” and “parole.” While you may have some sense as to what these terms mean, it is important to note that they both refer to two distinct legal processes. Let’s sort them out...

The double jeopardy has been popular in movies and television courtroom dramas. A great twist for Hollywood productions, double jeopardy is a foundational legal concept the framers of the U.S. Constitution included in order to protect people from being prosecuted or punished more than once for the same crime. While you may have seen...

The government and its agents, whether it be a prosecutor, a law enforcement officer, or someone else, is not without limits on its powers when it comes to the investigating, arresting, or prosecuting of those suspected of engaging in criminal activity. In fact, there are well established boundaries to their authority and violations of...

Interacting with law enforcement can be intimidating. While it is important to remain respectful and as compliant as is reasonable, it is also important in interactions with law enforcement to know your rights. You see, the power of law enforcement officials is not without limits. Some of those limits come in the form of...

Did you know that, according to the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, approximately 98% of criminal cases end in plea bargains? Plea bargains have come to play a vital role in the criminal justice system as the lack of resources, like prosecuting and defense attorneys, along with judges, juries, and other court resources,...

The insanity defense gets a lot of attention for the role it has played in past high profile legal cases as well as for how often it gets featured in movies and television legal dramas. The truth of the matter is, however, that the insanity defense is not often raised and even less often...

The credibility of a witness can have a big impact on the weight the witness testimony is given. For witnesses with solid credibility, testimony will likely be compelling and given significant weight. For those witnesses with questionable credibility, testimony is likely to be met with skepticism at the very least. Defenses attorneys know this...