One of the hardest parts of receiving an adult criminal conviction is how your criminal record continues to follow you long after you get out of jail or prison. Many Texans struggle to secure employment or housing because of criminal history records, which can make it difficult for them to avoid recidivism or rejoin society…

When it becomes clear that HPD or Texas State Police suspect you of drunk driving, you must make many crucial decisions quickly to preserve your best chance of protecting your freedom. One of those decisions is whether you will take the breathalyzer test. In the state of Texas, you have a legal right to refuse…

Most people don’t understand the criminal defense system and process well. Television, genre fiction, and a host of other media portray the system in ways that aren’t at all accurate. There are plenty of misconceptions circling around social media, as well. Here are seven common myths that can get you into trouble if you aren’t…

Our criminal justice process includes two types of juries. A petit jury can convict a person of a crime and is convened when a crime goes to trial. A grand jury convenes earlier in the process. When someone is charged with a felony in Texas, they must be indicted by a grand jury unless they…

Blackmail and extortion make fun plots in movies, but it’s not much fun to be the victim of them in real life. Both are against the law in Texas. Here’s everything you need to know about these two crimes and how we might defend you if you’re accused of them. Extortion Extortion is covered under…

The villain sometimes frustrates the hero on television by “getting out on appeal,” sometimes days after a fictionalized trial. In reality, appeals are almost impossible to win, even if a defendant can prove factual innocence years later.  Those appeals are even more impossible here in Harris County, where criminal appeals often fall through the cracks.…

Throw a single punch, and you could change your life. Assault charges are nothing to play with. They can change the course of your entire life.  Even the least class C misdemeanor assault charge can lead to $500 fines and a criminal record. First-degree felony assault would mean up to 99 years in prison and…

“Attempted murder” fuels the plot of many television crime dramas, but murder is not the only “attempted crime” you can be charged with in the state of Texas.  Attempted crime has been in the news lately. A Fort Hood sergeant was recently arrested for attempted murder, rape, and kidnapping.  A man was shot during an…

Recently, Texas football player Agiye Hall was suspended after being arrested on criminal mischief charges. He was charged with a Class B misdemeanor after damaging a vehicle boot. Another recent high-profile criminal mischief case involves a Texas anchor who allegedly drove onto an unidentified man’s front lawn and steps, damaging them. She was trying to…

A prosecutor’s discretion was once part of the criminal justice system here in Texas. In fact, as defense lawyers, we often appealed to that discretion in several ways while trying to get prosecutors to elect to drop or dismiss charges before pushing the process forward in court. On June 7, 2023, the Governor signed HB…