State Jail Diligent Participation Credit Texas currently has 19 state jails housing approximately 9,500 state-jail offenders. Under Penal Code Section 12.35 , a person serving time for a state-jail felony…
What is Judicial Clemency? One of the least discussed areas of criminal law in Texas is a judge’s power to set aside certain straight probation sentences. (Click here to read…
Confidential Informants Often fodder for Hollywood blockbusters such as Black Mass, Reservoir Dogs, and The Departed, the secrecy surrounding the identity of confidential informants has always captivated the public. Though…
Certain criminal convictions can have immigration consequences such as deportation, denial of admission or naturalization for any non-citizen. A defendant’s particular category of non-citizenship may affect the specific consequences of…
Rule 35 Agreement to Reduce a Federal Sentence As many know, under the federal system the most powerful departure from the United States Sentencing Guidelines exists under U.S.S.G. 5k1. This…
An affirmative defense allows a defendant to avoid legal responsibility for the charged offense. When a defendant uses an affirmative defense, the defendant is admitting guilt. However, the affirmative defense…
Collins v. Virginia In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court decided that the automobile exception does not allow police to enter the curtilage of home to search a parked vehicle….
Changes in Tarrant County Magistration For many years, bonds in Tarrant County were set by municipal magistrates throughout the county. This meant individuals in different cities could receive vastly different…
Duplicity in Prosecution or Politics as Usual? In recent days, Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson has publicly stated that her office plans to pursue a murder indictment against former…