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…
Category: Criminal Law
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…
2023
Category: Criminal Justice Reform | Criminal Law | Police Misconduct
Bad prosecutors are not a new phenomenon. They have existed since the Founders envisioned an adversarial judicial process when forming the United States of America. For more than 230 years, bad prosecutors have displayed a propensity to lie, embellish, suppress…
2023
Category: Criminal Law | Mental Health
Mental health plays a crucial role in criminal defense cases in Texas. A defendant’s mental health can affect their ability to understand the charges against them, to assist in their defense, and to make informed decisions about their case.
…
2023
Category: Criminal Law | Insanity Plea
The insanity defense is a legal strategy used in criminal cases by defendants who claim they were not legally responsible for their actions due to mental illness or defect.
In Texas, the insanity defense is a complex legal concept…