Assault “Game” Taking Place Outside of Austin Nightclubs

KVUE reports a new trend taking place outside of Austin nightclubs. It seems a group of people are waiting for intoxicated individuals to leave such establishments so that they can punch them. According to police the goal is to knock them unconscious.

That’s exactly what happened to 26 year old Joseph Solis earlier this week as he left Fuze nightclub. He has since undergone jaw surgery and may never be the same. read more

More License Plate Scanners in North Texas

Lewisville is the latest city in north Texas to deploy automatic license plate scanner technology in police vehicles. These systems are explictly sold and used for their ability to recover revenue owed the city, for anything from unpaid parking tickets or even municipal back taxes. read more

DNA Exoneration in Dallas

We see it on television on our favorite legal dramas. We know it happens in real life too. But this article from the Dallas Morning News features an interview with Dallas County Public Defender Michelle Moore who has actually been involved in 7 cases of exoneration after conviction using DNA evidence.

This interview is a glimpse into what Moore thinks of the exoneration process and also her thoughts on keeping the evidence from so many criminal cases. read more

Harris County One of Highest In Nation for DWI Deaths

Houston’s Harris County is the top heavily populated counties in the nation for DWI deaths. According to this article from the Houston Chronicle, the District Attorney Pat Lykos has referred to the problem as a “pandemic plague”. According to Lykos there are an estimated 10,000 DWI charges filed every year in the county.

Like many big cities, Houston’s police department has a DWI task force credited with many arrests and taking drunk drivers off the road. They reportedly get over $480,000 annually in grants for overtime to staff the task force but the task force and all of the preventative measures aren’t doing enough to keep the DWI statistics at an acceptable level for many. read more

Greenville Activist Gets Assault Charge

Lower Greenville, an entertainment district known for its parties and bars has a well known activist named Avi Adelman. Mr. Adelman apparently spends his time working to clean up the neighborhood by bringing attention to the excessive drinking that goes on here.

It seems that’s exactly what he was doing this past weekend when filming a passed out man in front of a local bar. This article from the Dallas Morning News states that early Sunday morning while documenting the intoxicated sleeper, Adelman got into a shoving match with a female in front of a bar. read more

Gun Smuggling Bill On Its Way To Becoming Law

A new bill has recently passed the legislature and is awaiting signing by Governor Perry to make it official This law is designed to take a proactive step to preventing the growing illegal weapons trade between Texas and Mexico.

According to this piece from the Houston Chronicle, guns are often smuggled from Texas cities like Houston into Mexico where weapons are typically banned from civilian possession. This gun trade and the opposite flowing drug trade have significantly contributed to crime in our state. read more

Convicted Felon Arrested at Dallas Maverick Nowitski’s Home

Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitski wasn’t home when police served a warrant on his friend Cristal Taylor. Taylor had been staying with the star forward for the past few months in what seems to be a close relationship. According to this article from the Dallas Morning News, however, the team and people around Nowitski are pleased to see that Taylor may be on her way out of Nowitski’s life.

Understandably, Nowitski doesn’t want to talk about Taylor or the two warrants she had out for her, for a probation violation and a theft charge. Looking into Taylor’s past one may be surprised that she was able to build a friendship with someone in the limelight like Nowitski. read more

Former Dallas Cowboy Charged With Fraud

Texas wouldn’t be the same without football. It is who we are; football is simply a way of life for many of us. This doesn’t mean, however, that the players, both professional and college, are outside the ramifications of the law. On the contrary, it seems we see plenty players making the news for more than just their sacks and touchdowns.

Most recently, former Cowboy Michael Kiselak, was charged with defrauding both friends and family into investing several million dollars. After the lights on the field go out players are left trying to maintain their NFL lifestyle; this one may have ultimately failed.

Kiselak led investors to believe their money was going towards Treasury bills. Instead, as this WFAA report claims, the money was being invested in Kiselaks own “capital investments.” He purchased a personal jet and vineyards with their money. read more

Dallas Police Imposter Still On the Loose

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

Drunk Driving Kills 5 Children In a Horrific Houston Accident

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