A Facebook account created, email sent, or photo posted—if you do any of these in someone else’s name, you could be facing serious felony charges. Though the law was created in 2011, Texas prosecutors are now beginning to charge people under the law that could take childish pranks and turn them into life-changing criminal convictions. [Read more…]
Texas “Castle Doctrine” Changes See Increase in Homicides Ruled “Justifiable”
The Castle Doctrine, which gained attention in the state of Florida with the similar “Stand Your Ground” killing of Trayvon Martin, is present in one form or another in every state. In Texas, changes to that law in 2007 have increased the number of justifiable homicides in the state from 32 in 2006 to 48 in 2010. [Read more…]
Austin Man Faces Felony Charges after Photographing Arrest
Antonio Buehler of Austin was pumping gas just after midnight on New Year’s Day when he saw police conducting a DUI investigation. It was when he saw them pull a female passenger out of the vehicle they were stopped, “manhandling” her, that he decided to start taking pictures. It was this that would ultimately end up getting him charged with several crimes and facing 10 years in prison. [Read more…]
Juvenile Lockup to Hold “Worst of the Worst”
No one likes the idea of kids behind bars. But that’s exactly where some of the most violent juvenile offenders in Texas may end up now that the state has decided to reopen part of a lockup near Mart. It will be reserved for the “worst of the worst,” according to officials. [Read more…]
Harris County Sheriff Holds Staff Accountable Through Firings and Discipline
Law enforcement departments are frequently criticized for doing too little in disciplining officers. But Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has taken a different approach, bolstering the Internal Affairs office and firing numerous deputies and detention officers who have broken laws or violated regulations. [Read more…]
Texas Judicial Oversight Commission Keeps Judge’s “Misdeeds” Secret
The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct is charged with investigating judges accused of wrongdoing and meting out sanctions. But a good portion of what they do and the cases they hear are never made public. The Commission claims they do not have to share the information, and without anyone telling them otherwise, their secret proceedings will continue. [Read more…]
Tarrant County Missing Millions in Bail Money
When you are charged with a crime, bail is a promise that you will return to court. You are asked for a certain amount of money in order to gain your pre-trial release. The thought is that you will return if there is a lot of money on the line. But, as the Star-Telegram shows in this report, the money or threat of further prosecution isn’t always enough to guarantee a return. [Read more…]
Texas Innocence Project Questions Accountability in Cases of Prosecutor Misconduct
The Innocence Project released a study on how prosecutors are held accountable for their misconduct. What they found is that they are largely not held accountable at all. With a growing number of people being exonerated by DNA evidence and numerous cases of wrongful convictions coming to light, the number of prosecutors being charged with misconduct is growing, but why isn’t the number being disciplined? [Read more…]
Texas Police to Carry “Safer” Tasers
Taser International, the company responsible for outfitting the nations cops with Tasers, has released its latest model, the X2, said to be a safer version of the older products. Fort Worth has recently made arrangements to outfit their officers with the X2 and Houston has purchased them as well. [Read more…]
Houston Businesses Being Held Responsible for Patron’s Criminal Behavior
The Harris County Attorney’s Office is using the civil courts to reduce crime in places of business that are known nuisances. In this way they are penalizing the business owners but allowing them to get their businesses in compliance rather than criminalizing them. Though not all business owners are convinced it’s a good move, their neighbors see otherwise. [Read more…]
