The Age of Criminal Responsibility in Texas: A Look at House Bill 122
What is the Age of Criminal Responsibility in Texas? In Texas, 17-year-olds can’t vote, serve on a jury, play lotto, or buy beer and cigarettes – but they are considered…
What is UCW in Texas? Unlawful Carry of Weapon in Texas
What is Unlawful Carry of a Weapon? Unlawful Carry of a Weapon, or UCW, refers to offenses involving the illegal possession of a handgun, illegal knife, or club in Texas….
Tarrant County SWIFT Program | Tarrant County SWIFT Probation
What is the Tarrant County SWIFT Program? The Tarrant County SWIFT program is a post-plea, intensive probation program that gives high-risk, high-need offenders an opportunity to change — and immediate…
Arrests in Texas | When Can Officers Make an Arrest? | Lawful Arrests
You would think defining “arrest” would be a simple task, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are police encounters, which are distinguishable from police stops, detentions, and…
What is a Motion in Limine in a Criminal Trial in Texas?
A Motion in Limine is common in criminal trials, both at the state and federal level. It is a motion filed by either the prosecution or defense before a trial…
Criminal Trial Analytics: Learning from Verdicts
In the world of civil litigation, tracking jury verdicts is big business. Attorneys and their clients want to know what juries in a particular jurisdiction have been doing before they…
Eight Surprising Facts about the Texas Prison System
With 142,000 peo ple serving time in the Texas prison system, the Lone Star state has one of the largest prison populations in the nation. If it were a city,…
Immigration Consequences for Non-Citizens Facing Criminal Charges
Certain criminal convictions can have immigration consequences such as deportation, denial of admission or naturalization for any non-citizen. A defendant’s particular category of non-citizenship may affect the specific consequences of…
What Is a Presentence Investigation Report? | Federal and State Presentence Reports
What is a Presentence Investigation Report? A Presentence Investigation Report, commonly known as a PSI in state court, is a document that judges use to help assess a defendant’s punishment…