Police officers and investigators will often look anywhere they can to try to find evidence. For instance, they may be interested in finding discarded financial statements if someone has been accused of embezzlement. They may look for drug paraphernalia or even...
Evidence in Criminal Cases
3 ways people win at trial despite a prosecutor’s evidence
Those accused of a crime usually know that the state has evidence to support the charges brought against them. Prosecutors generally do not pursue charges unless they think they have a strong chance of winning their case. The case that a prosecutor builds usually...
Can intoxication reduce someone’s culpability during a trial?
Those accused of criminal acts in Texas have the right to present a defense during trial. Some defendants choose to challenge or reinterpret evidence, possibly by showing the police violated their rights during an investigation. Others recognize that the state has a...
Trace DNA: Dangerous evidence can lead to wrongful convictions
Advances in forensic DNA analysis have made it much easier to definitively tie defendants to a crime through biological evidence, and that can make juries more confident about their verdicts when they vote for a conviction. But, should juries really be that...
Is fingerprint evidence entirely trustworthy?
Fingerprint evidence could play a crucial role in a Texas criminal trial. Unfortunately, the defendant may face possible conviction even when the evidence is flawed. While fingerprints may be highly recognized examples of evidence, they are not perfect. Commonly cited...
Don’t let questionable witnesses jeopardize your freedom
Regardless of the type of criminal charges you’re facing, the prosecution is going to try to stack up the evidence against you in hopes of obtaining a conviction. While this might include some junk science and documentary evidence, they’re also going to heavily lean...
Eyewitness testimony is often unreliable
When police officers in Texas and around the country arrive at a crime scene, they usually begin their inquiries by taking statements from any individuals who saw the events take place. As the investigation unfolds, eyewitnesses may be asked to help police identify a...
How is bite-mark evidence treated in the state of Texas?
Texas can be one of the most challenging states in the nation for bite-mark evidence cases. For this reason, it is advised that you have a strong, smart and skilled litigator in criminal law representing you. Many judges rely on the testimony of professional...
A great deal of scientific evidence isn’t all that scientific
“With the exception of nuclear DNA analysis … no forensic method has been rigorously shown to have the capacity to consistently, and with a high degree of certainty, demonstrate a connection between evidence and a specific individual or source.” That was the...
Woman wrongly convicted 15 years ago still awaits retrial
In general, most people want to trust the legal system in Texas and in the United States, but the system unfortunately isn’t flawless. Innocent people can and do face wrongful convictions. A recent news article tells the story of Rosa Jimenez. In 2005, Rosa was...
DNA In Criminal Justice
The Basics of Crime Labs in Houston DNA is commonly used in criminal investigations and trials. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the carrier of genetic information present in nearly every living organism. Police frequently collect DNA at crime scenes in order to...