In April 2021, Shanea Lynn Reeder was arrested in Wheeler County for unlawful possession of a firearm. The arrest followed a consent-to-search of Reeder’s vehicle, during which a handgun was found. Knowing that Reeder had a prior drug offense, he…
Category: Criminal Law
2024
Category: Constitutional Law | Criminal Law
King George III was the King of Great Britain at the time of the American Revolutionary War—a successful war fought by English colonists determined to be free from the King’s rule. At the time of the war, the British people…
2024
Category: Criminal Law | Murder
Extraneous offense evidence is always prejudicial in a criminal trial in Texas—much more so in the guilt/innocence phase than in the punishment phase. The general evidentiary rule governing the admissibility of such evidence is Rule 403 of the Texas Rules…
2023
Category: Criminal Law | Hate Crime
The United States in recent years has experienced a troubling surge in hate crimes. Major cities, including Houston, face significant challenges addressing what has become a crime crisis. Hate crimes target individuals based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, or…
2023
Category: Criminal Law | voir dire
Section 10 of Article I of the Texas Bill of Rights guarantees a criminal defendant the right to an impartial jury.
Selecting an impartial jury is no minor feat. All prospective jurors who enter a courtroom for possible criminal jury…
2023
Category: Criminal Law | Self-Defense
Self-defense is a fundamental right that allows individuals to protect themselves from harm in situations where their safety is at risk. Understanding self-defense laws is essential to know when you can lawfully use force to defend yourself or others. In…
2023
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Criminal Law | Junk Science
With so many television crime drama shows relying on forensic evidence to capture the guilty party, it is understandable why there is a broad misconception in the general public about the value of forensic evidence.
In actuality, flawed forensic evidence …
2023
Category: Appeals | Criminal Law
In a January 21, 2022, post, we called upon the Texas justice system to vacate the 1998 murder conviction and death sentence of Rodney Reed.
That will not happen.
On June 28, 2023, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, in…
2023
Category: Criminal Law
A confidential relationship between an attorney and their client is sacrosanct. All communications, personal and professional, between the attorney and their client are confidential—a cornerstone of common law in our legal system for 500 years.
One exception to the confidentiality…
2023
In Texas, a criminal conviction occurs once a jury delivers its verdict of guilty to the trial judge or a defendant elects to plead guilty, and the judge accepts the plea.
There is a significant difference between these two types…