Ghost Dope in Federal Sentencing | Criminal Drug Charges
Ghost Dope in Federal Sentencing: Every criminal punishment is the result of two stages of fact finding. Phase One – determining whether a person actually committed a crime. Phase Two…
Recording the Police in Texas | Fort Worth Criminal Lawyer
Now that cameras are a ubiquitous part of our lives, the power to film is always at our fingertips. Videos posted on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook have become supplements to…
Occupational Driver License in Texas
What Is an Occupational Driver License in Texas? An occupational driver license (ODL) or “occupational license” is a judicially-issued permit to drive a vehicle in Texas after a person’s license…
Corporal Punishment: Is it Illegal to Spank a Child in Texas?
Many of us — the author included — were spanked by our parents growing up. It wasn’t uncommon for mom or dad to spank us with whatever they could get their…
Federal Criminal Statute of Limitations | How Long Can the Feds Prosecute?
A federal statute of limitations dictates the time in which a criminal case can be filed in court. Failure to file before the statute of limitations bars a case from being…
Warrant Required for Law Enforcement to Test Blood Drawn for Medical Purposes
The Court of Criminal Appeals handed down State v. Martinez, answering whether the State’s testing of blood previously drawn by hospital personnel for medical purposes constitutes a search under the Fourth…
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…
Shadow Juries and Mock Trials
What are Shadow Juries? A shadow jury is made up of individuals who closely match the demographics and backgrounds of actual juries. Shadow jurors are paid to watch a trial…
Can Police Take DNA Without a Warrant?
Can Officers Take Discarded Items and Have Them Tested for DNA? Police officers are known to take discarded items and have them tested for DNA. In March of 2015, the…