Criminal Defense

Judges and lawmakers have broad powers to restrict constitutional rights. For example, even though the First Amendment guarantees freedom of assembly, groups cannot hold rallies in hospital zones. The Second Amendment is an even better example. The text gives people the right to...

An assault conviction is bad enough. There are both direct and indirect consequences. A Section 22.01 violation is, at a minimum, a Class A misdemeanor. That means up to a year in jail. Furthermore, assault is a crime of moral turpitude. Such a conviction can cause problems later...

Acting on a tip, Parker County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a local couple for drug possession and took away their small child. The anonymous tipster claimed that a residence on Highway 51 was a drug house. Deputies found a baggie with 0.4 grams of methamphetamine in 25-year-old ...

In a largely symbolic gesture, the TSHC will officially delete hemp from the controlled substances list effective April 5, 2019. How does this move affect cannabidiol and other non-THC, marijuana-based products in Texas? Advocates say this reclassification, which echoes a simila...

In a handful of cases, pretrial release is probably irrelevant. Defendants who are charged with Class C misdemeanors and have no work, family, or other commitments will probably plead guilty and receive a brief jail sentence. In many cases, the time served may cover most or all o...

In movies and TV shows, court-appointed defense lawyers and public defenders are often overworked and under-prepared. Fortunately, real life in a Tarrant County courtroom is nothing like what you see on TV, at least in this context. The Sixth Amendment guarantees all defendants t...

Criminal convictions often make life much harder. In many cases, even misdemeanor convictions may make it difficult or impossible to obtain student financial aid, find a good job, or pursue certain careers. So, many people are willing to take risks if it means keeping their recor...

Judges and juries in the Austin area will not hear testimony from forensic examiner Dr. Sam Andrews until state officials finish investigating misconduct allegations against him. Before he became Lubbock County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Andrews was an assistant in Travis Cou...

Criminal convictions make life difficult. A criminal record often makes it much harder, or even impossible, to find a good job, obtain money for school, find a good place to live, or pursue certain careers. For many years, Texas has had some very generous second chance laws, and...

In a unanimous decision, the United States Supreme Court declared that state civil forfeitures are subject to Constitutional limitations. Timbs v. Indiana revolved around Tyson Timbs, who allegedly sold heroin worth about $400 to an undercover officer. Immediately after his arre...