A protection order is a civil court order meant to protect alleged victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual abuse, or stalking. Violating a protective order is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of prison and up to $4,000 in fines.  If you violate a protective order three times,  you’ll face…

In general, if you plan to do anything against the law, it’s a bad idea to tell someone about it. It’s an exceedingly terrible idea to talk about that plan in writing.  Yet some people exchange incriminating messages over messenger apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter DMs, Instagram Direct, Discord, Snapchat, and other services they…

Here at Greco Neyland, we understand the impulse to try to clear your name with your family or friends even before you try to clear your name in the courts.  Nobody wants to be humiliated and accused in front of their loved ones.  Unfortunately, talking to friends or family members can harm your case.  Here’s…

Over 4,000 defendants are wearing electronic monitoring devices here in Harris County.  Agreeing to an ankle bracelet may be a viable strategy for keeping you out of jail. Judges may use the bracelet as a condition of pretrial release. Bracelets also serve as a condition of parole for many Houston convicts.  The bracelets confine you…

When you’re accused of a crime and know you’re innocent, you may be desperate to speed up the process of proving your innocence. If police suggest a polygraph, you might be tempted to leap at the opportunity. As Houston, TX, criminal defense attorneys, we strongly suggest you speak to your lawyer before taking this step. …

Any traffic stop can become a fraught situation that can lead to your arrest, even when you feel like the stop is routine.  Vehicle search is one of the possibilities that arises during those stops. Those searches can be problematic, and it’s wise to know your rights. What can happen when police search your car…

On television, a person gets arrested and the trial happens a week later, with no steps in between. In reality there are several more steps, and that works to your advantage. Here’s what to expect after your arrest in Houston, TX. Arraignment 48 hours after your arrest, you must be brought before a judge. You…

A confession, on its own, does not guarantee a conviction. Not all confessions are even admissible in court.  In general, of course, it is best if someone who has been arrested doesn’t say anything at all. But not everyone who gets arrested knows their rights.  In addition, being arrested is a stressful situation. Some people…

This December a Texas man was arrested for climbing to the roof of a hotel while being served a warrant. He used the hotel’s attic system to jump both to the roof, and from room to room, all while trying to avoid the police.   While this might sound like an exciting scene straight out of…

Resisting an arrest can make any criminal charge work. It is essentially an additional charge. You can be convicted of a resisting arrest charge even if you are acquitted for the crime you were accused of in the first place.  You can be charged with resisting arrest even if the arrest was unlawful. Unfortunately, in…