Dallas police are seeking 21 year old Ryan Caskey on charges that he impersonated an officer, helped respond to calls and even make arrests. According to this article from the Dallas Morning News, Caskey had some with the Dallas P.D. fooled as he played cop for the day.

Caskey claimed to be on a FBI taskforce. He carried a Marine military law enforcement badge and a Glock handgun. He wore a bulletproof vest and even drove a Crown Victoria with lights on the dash. He had the lingo and the mannerisms down too. Apparently his confidence carried him far.

It started when he befriended a police officer that lived nearby. This turned into him following her on calls and assisting. At one stop he even kicked in the door after the Officer got permission to force entry. With gun drawn, Caskey entered the home, asking questions and behaving as if he were the investigating officer. read more

This past weekend proved deadly for a Houston family. Two men and six kids were piled into a car that went careening off the road into a flooded ditch. The two adults and a 10 year old child escaped, but the other 5 weren’t so lucky.

According to the Associated Press, driver Chanton Jenkins is currently in police custody facing 4 counts of intoxication manslaughter, one charge for each of the children that has been found to date. Mr. Jenkins lost control of the vehicle, according to his brother and passenger, when he was talking on his phone.

The ditch had turned into a rushing torrent with recent downpours and when the vehicle plunged into the waters, it was all the adults could do to save themselves and the one child who escaped. Police say the current was so strong, the car ended up 100 feet from its initial crash site. The rushing waters are also to blame for the still missing body of a 3 year old girl.

Jenkins is said to be father to 3 of the five victims, while the other two were cousins of the family. The children who passed were ages 1, 3, 4, 7, and 11. read more

As defense attorneys, it is our responsibility to fight for you, and try to get the best possible results in court. This means knowing all of the ins and outs of your case and ensuring your rights were protected at every stage of the game. With some Texas law enforcement agencies moving toward more and more mandatory blood draws, the job can becomes more interesting and challenging.

This article from the American Statesman outlines some of the new defense strategies coming about with this new and questionable method of getting DUI convictions. As we blogged about last week, there are several counties within our state that are moving toward mandatory blood draws when you refuse to take a breathalyzer test. These blood tests are highly invasive and their use is suspect to say the least.

As the legal landscape changes and prosecutors come up with new ways to get convictions, it is my job, and the job of every good defense attorney out there to also adjust our game plan to ensure that our clients are being treated fairly.

This new approach in DWI convictions has proven to be a difficult one to fight in court. Having said that, however, there is hope for your case. read more

More and more people realize that they don’t have to consent to a breath test if they are pulled over and suspected of DWI. While they may still be arrested and charged with the offense this refusal could increase the chances that those charges would be dropped or the jury would return a not guilty verdict. This is exactly why Dallas has started mandatory DUI blood draws in some cases.

If you refuse a breath test in Dallas but the police believe you are intoxicated, they can request a warrant for your blood. This trend is gaining popularity despite dissent from the ACLU and many other groups. According to this report from the Dallas Observer, even some judges wonder if this is the right thing to do, especially when they learn of people physically resisting the blood draw.

Evaluations showed, however, that cases where the alleged drunk driver refused testing they were acquitted. Groups like MADD and prosecutors alike didn’t like this. It made the police and prosecution work very hard to build a DWI case that was a slam dunk. read more

Over the past few years, the probation system in Travis county has made some major changes. From streamlining tedious paperwork to better classifying offenders prior to sentencing, the department has saved money and it seems they have also reduced short term recidivism.

This report from the Statesman shows that probation revocations are down 20% over the past two years. This number is amidst of a struggling economy and difficult times for many so it shows a promising trend for the future of probationers in the Austin area.

Probation happens when a person is convicted of a crime but the judge sees them fit for supervision within the community. This privilege is instated while a prison sentence is suspended. If the probationer follows all the rules and avoids new arrests they serve their probation term and are then released. If, however, they violate their probation, the judge can “revoke” it and reinstate the suspended sentence.

Finding superior supervision methods saves the state and county money by avoiding over-supervising low risk offenders and also by ensuring the right programs are used for the right offenders. With lower revocation numbers, this means there are less violators sitting in Travis County jail and lining up for court. read more

Gangs don’t typically victimize average citizens. Gang members usually prey on other gang members or people associated with them. Does this mean Austinites shouldn’t be concerned about the rise in gangs around the city? Absolutely not.

Gang-connected crimes are most often linked to drugs. The more gangs we have battling it out for drug territory, the more overall violence our city will experience and the more expenses we will all carry as the local criminal justice system is overloaded.

This article from the American Statesmen points out that Austin experienced a 65% increase in gang related crimes. It also states there are more and more gang members within the city. The reasons are unclear but the results remain the same.

Being involved in a gang is not something easily walked away from. Like many law breakers, gang members find it difficult to live a clean life. Unlike most other criminals, however, for some gang members, leaving the lifestyle is impossible. read more