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Brooks County, Texas: Ground Zero
Brooks County, Texas, is a sleepy rural county with more than its share of poverty. You’d never suspect it was a hotbed of activity, but it is. Federal law enforcement there boasts the nation’s busiest Border Patrol checkpoint. It leads the nation in apprehension of undocumented migrants. It seizes illegal drugs at a record pace. National [..]
Grand Jury: Constitutional Protection, But Easily Manipulated
You have a right to a grand jury. Yes, you really do. Really. It’s right there in The Fifth Amendment of our country’s Constitution. It’s important. It matters. Seriously, it does. Grand juries are fundamental to freedom. They stretch back at least 800 years and appear in the Magna Carta, one of the most important [..]
“They Didn’t Read Me My [Miranda] Rights.” And?
Reading Your Rights To You After Arrest Is Not Required Miranda Is One Of The Best-Known U.S. Supreme Court Case Names “They didn’t read me my [Miranda] rights.” Sometimes Miranda is named; sometimes it’s not. The Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona is so ingrained in the popular mind many people can actually name it [..]
Best Lawyers? The Top Lawyers? Buyer Beware*
Have you been looking for a lawyer to handle your case? Would you like to find the best lawyers, the top lawyers? Wouldn’t it be great to hire a lawyer who has been named “Top X” (X is whatever number sounds impressive)? Mega? Nationally ranked? Premiere? Elite? Best? Some other catchy, impressive title on a [..]
6 Things Which Don’t Win Your DWI (By Themselves)
Your DWI May Have Some Great Defenses, But These Usually Aren’t In some ways, these topics might be woven into your overall defense strategy, but it’s not as simple as people think. To win your DWI case, your lawyer should use whatever is available. 1) “They didn’t read me my rights.” Most people mean Miranda [..]
Should You Plead No Contest?
Few criminal law concepts are as simple and as misunderstood as the term “nolo contendere”, otherwise called “no contest”. The two terms say the same thing in different languages, so I’ll just use “no contest” in this piece. In my practice, I’ve encountered many people who seem to have the misguided notion they shouldn’t or [..]
BIG BROTHER Is Watching at All Times
On this Independence Day, Big Brother is no longer fiction. Sophisticated, sensitive recording devices surround you virtually everywhere you go. Enemy spies are everywhere (not really, but they might as well be). They are all carrying sophisticated surveillance devices. These same spies dutifully report the most mundane of events in public and private life. Big [..]
We Need Personal and Societal Reform
Today is January 1 of a new year. It’s important to remember personal and societal progress are not inevitable. Change, whether slow or rapid, will occur. We can regress without diligent, intelligent, responsible decisions and actions. Improvement requires our conscious attention. Our core beliefs and cherished rights as a free nation are not self-executing. We [..]
Criminal Accountability
Bring ’em to Justice! Americans want criminals brought to justice for their crimes. Few people consider who polices the police. Cop, prosecutor, and judge accountability – it’s about time. Those in charge of ruining people’s lives should have a stake in the process, since they are the ones best suited to do anything about it. [..]
