Many drug possession cases in Texas are straightforward legal matters. Police officers find drugs in someone's immediate possession. They might have a substance in their pockets or might have it in their bloodstream. The immediate physical possession of a prohibited...
Much of what most people know about the criminal justice system comes from popular media. Many movies and television shows focus on police officers or the court system. The information from entertainment can give people inaccurate ideas about what may happen if the...
There are many legal rules that protect those accused of breaking the law in Texas. Certain state and federal rules restrict police activity and also establish certain requirements for the courts. One of the most important protections for individuals facing criminal...
Eyewitness testimony has long been a crucial part of criminal investigations and trials. However, its reliability is often overestimated, which can have significant implications for justice. Various factors influence eyewitness accounts' accuracy, making it a subject...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
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...