Posts by Dustan Neyland

Texas is a death penalty state, though death penalty cases have been relatively rare since 1999. However, Harris County accounts for many cases, and the penalty is still “on the table.” Executions continue to occur, and some percentage of criminal defendants remain at risk. In fact, Texas continues to have the third-largest death row population…

The Texas Department of Public Safety reports that there were 134,372 assaults reported in the state of Texas. HPD reported 943,774 in the same year.  On the surface, it sounds like a weird discrepancy. You can chalk it up to different reporting requirements for both departments and reporting practices. Either way, the number of assaults…

In popular television shows, defense lawyers constantly put defendants on the stand to tell “their side of the story.” Often, the hero lawyer’s brilliant handling of the defendant’s testimony creates the triumphant, pivotal moment that sets the innocent victim on the path to freedom. In reality, it is rarely a good idea to testify in…

Drug tests are relatively common in private Texas workplaces, both as a condition for employment and randomly during the course of employment. Government employees face fewer drug tests because the law says a government agency must have a compelling justification to drug test its employees.  Will you have to worry about being dragged away by…

Being accused of any crime is distressing, but a false accusation of either sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault can be particularly distressing. Emotional distress can cause you to make serious mistakes that could hurt your case. For that matter, many of those who are legally guilty of date rape make the same mistakes.  Avoid…

Finding out your child is under arrest might just qualify as one of the top 10 parental nightmares. Your child is in danger, and the situation is largely out of your control.   Yet there are steps you can take to help your child during this difficult time. Here’s what you need to know.   …

While most people who are charged with a crime focus primarily on the jail time they are facing, the truth is that a criminal conviction impacts a person’s life in numerous other ways. Every conviction comes with collateral damage that can make life much harder long after a prisoner is released from jail.  Employment Problems…

The Texas Penal Code, section 22, says that a person commits child endangerment or child abandonment if the following are true: The person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly, or with criminal intent, abandons a child under the age of 15 in any place or circumstances that expose the child to an unreasonable risk of harm, or…

Many Texas homeowners install security cameras and many more install Ring video doorbells. Ring doorbells allow a homeowner to see, interact with, and record anyone approaching the door for any reason.  Most of the time, the only person who sees a homeowner’s security camera footage or Ring footage is the homeowner. Yet occasionally, police want…