In this post I want to talk about the public’s perception of “loopholes” in the law. Normally you’ll hear someone in a movie or TV show say… “my lawyer got me off.” Things like this make people look down on the legal system even more than the public already does. What are these loopholes and how
If you’re in the Austin area and someone you care about has been arrested, one of your first thoughts on your mind will be how to get them out of jail. In a previous post I talked about the types of bonds in Texas. Depending on what type of crime was committed, a Judge may
Exception #2 Search Incident to Arrest In one of the last posts I wrote about exceptions to police needing a Warrant under the Fourth Amendment. Whether it’s a search warrant or an arrest warrant, once you’re arrested, a police officer can search you, your clothes, and the area immediately around you. At this point, the
Simply put, assault causes bodily injury is any unwanted contact between two people. In my experience, assault cases almost always happen because of drugs and/or alcohol. It doesn’t matter whether or not there was a visible mark or injury. This applies to bar fights, grabbing someone else with your hand, punching, kicking, slapping etc…. In
Williamson county, Texas has a reputation for being extra tough on crime. I get it. Many lawyers won’t take cases here. A lot of clients have told me they’re afraid of the Williamson County prosecutors. They’ve even WISHED they had gotten arrest in Travis county. Anywhere but Wilco. It’s the reputation that the county has
In a previous post I talked about the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. One of the bigger ideas that I wrote about was the fact that there are many, many exceptions to the Warrant Requirement of the Fourth Amendment, especially during traffic stops. I’m going to write a multi-part post about exceptions to the
What does it take for a police officer to search you or your car? Probable Cause. What is probable cause? In Texas, probable cause has a very slippery definition. It’s hard to explain and even harder to outline its boundaries. Basically, probable cause is the amount of details, evidence, or information that a police officer
Refusal to take a Breath or Blood Test In Texas, you may have heard that there are No Refusal Weekends. This means that legally, if a police officer suspects you are driving under the influence, you are not allowed to refuse a breath or blood test. DWI isn’t limited to alcohol. It can include drugs
Who wants to get woken up to the knock at the door shown above? There not at the door to sell you a vacuum cleaner. Likely, that picture was taken during the execution of a Warrant by police. The Warrants I’m talking about here are Warrants of Arrest, not Search Warrants. There are important differences
This is a guest blog post written by Angela Dockrey Crawford. Angela has extensive experience working on CPS cases. Due to their nature, CPS Cases can often overlap with criminal cases. Angela is a family law and CPS attorney practicing in Williamson, Travis and surrounding counties. Her website can be found at: www.dockreylaw.com Time Limits
I want to give clients an idea of what it’s like working with me and the costs involved. You want to know what to expect during our first meeting. If I was you, I’d want to know too. No one likes surprises. Especially big, expensive, surprises when it comes to arrest and criminal issues. I
If you’re thinking of going to trial on your case, one question gets asked over and over again – Should I testify in my own defense? The short answer here is generally NO. Why? Because you don’t have to and the risk is great. This post relates to your Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination.
