Author name: Benson Varghese

In the realm of civil rights litigation , few legal doctrines have sparked as much debate and controversy as qualified immunity. This judicially created doctrine serves as a powerful shield for government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, against civil lawsuits. If you have been wondering why agencies are rarely successfully sued for police shootings or […]

Expert Analysis of Pete Arredondo’s Indictment This week, the Washington Post contacted me regarding Unvadle School Police Chief Pete Arredondo’s indictment. In many respects, the Uvalde police chief indictment is unprecedented. This article will break down the indictment for endangering a child and what we can glean from them. Background of the Indictment A Uvalde

If you’re pulled over in Texas and an officer suspects you of driving while intoxicated (DWI) , you will be asked to perform field sobriety tests. But can you refuse a field sobriety test? The short answer is yes. Do you know what the consequences for refusing to do field sobriety tests are? This article

Mandatory Reporting Requirement in Texas Mandatory Reporting refers to the legal obligation of individuals to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities. Most people think that mandatory reporting only applies to certain professionals. This is incorrect. Mandatory reporting applies to everyone in Texas. The question is really not “who” has

United States v. Rahimi On June 21, 2024, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in United States v. Rahimi. Rahimi took a step back from the implications of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen . While there was only one dissent in Rahimi, five of the

Julie Chrisley, a reality TV star known for “Chrisley Knows Best,” has had her fraud sentence vacated by an appeals court. In this article, we will discuss what the Julie Chrisley resentencing will look like. Background of the Case Julie Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, were convicted of various charges, including bank fraud, tax

Diaz v. United States: Gorsuch’s Dissent Takes Center Stage On June 20, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in the case of Diaz v. United States, upholding the conviction of Delilah Guadalupe Diaz for drug trafficking. While the majority opinion, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, affirmed the lower court’s decision, it’s

The Intersection of Family and Criminal Law Family law and criminal law are two areas of the legal system that often intersect in complex and challenging ways. In Texas, The Intersection of Family and Criminal Law in Texas is particularly evident in cases involving allegations of abuse and assault , drug use and intoxication, and

On June 12, 2024, the Court of Criminal Appeals handed down its decision in Heath v. State. The State v. Heath decision affirmed that Texas law by statute requires prosecutors to disclose all relevant evidence in the possession of the State, regardless of whether the prosecutor had knowledge of the evidence. This post explores what