Man Charged DWI Manslaughter On the Run

A 25 year old resident of Nepal is now a wanted man after police released him following a wreck that killed 3 Houston teens. This isn’t just a story about the danger of drunk driving but how law enforcement determines if someone is a “flight risk”. The college student is now facing three charges of intoxicated manslaughter and is nowhere to be found. read more

Houston Police Barred From Speaking to Defense Lawyers

A new rule in the Houston Police Department bars officers from speaking with defense lawyers without permission from the prosecution. According to the Houston Chronicle, the new rule came down via memo from Chief Charles McClelland on July 1. Defense attorneys are questioning the legality of the rule and certainly the impact it may have. read more

Twenty-eight Arrested In Sting of Diverse Drug Ring

Nearly 30 people were arrested by federal agents this week for participating in a drug ring with ties back to a Mexican drug cartel. The ring was called the “United Nations” of drug rings because of its unusual diversity. The makeup of this ring simply shows that the stereotypical drug dealer isn’t always what people think. read more

Texas Courts Ordering SCRAM Bracelets for DWI Charges

Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan aren’t the only ones being sentenced to alcohol monitoring bracelets. According to this article from the Dallas Morning News, well over 500 Texas courts are using them as sentencing tools.  read more

Texas Issuing More Disorderly Conduct Tickets in the Classrooms

What once would have got you detention or in house suspension can now get your child a ticket for disorderly conduct. Yes, according to The Texas Tribune, Texas Appleseed released new data this week regarding criminal citations issued in the schools. read more

Arson Suspected in El Paso Fires

Arson isn’t a very common crime, but when it does happen it is taken very seriously. According to the El Paso Times and Fire Rescue 1 a recent fire brings the number of burned homes to 5 for this month in one local region. read more

Congress Studies Alcohol Sensors in All Vehicles

A US Congressman is proposing spending $40 million to investigate, research, and develop technology for cars to automatically detect alcohol consumption by the driver. The goal would be to prevent drunk driving before it happens.

According to reports, there may be multiple methods for detecting alcohol consumption, including skin sensors in the steering wheel, and other methods to analyze perspiration and breath.

Questions this raises include:

• What would happen if the car detects alcohol? Presumably the car would not start, but would police be notified and criminal action taken?
• What is the threshold for measuring alcohol? Is it set lower than the legal limit of .08% BAC?
• What is the remedy to challenge any false positives?
• Can the devices be sure that it isn’t a passenger who many be intoxicated and not the driver?

Everyone wants to prevent drunk driving, but this kind of extremely intrusive monitoring that bypasses any presumption of innocence is frightening, and could be a dangerous precedent.

According to the report by KENS 5 in San Antonio, the devices could be standard in new vehicles within 5 or 10 years.

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Update: More info on the proposed car alcohol sensors here.

New Woodlands Crime Lab Ready for Evidence

A new toxicology lab in Montgomery County has law enforcement and many in the legal community looking forward to faster turnaround when it comes to processing criminal evidence. The Sam Houston State University Regional Crime Lab opened this year, though it hasn’t begun receiving cases yet. It is estimated, by The Courier, that the new lab will be able to handle about 6,000 cases each year. read more

Consequences of a Criminal Conviction in Texas

Any criminal conviction can affect your life for years to come, in ways you might not consider. That’s why it is always makes sense to speak to a criminal defense attorney about your legal options, even for minor offenses like drug possession or shoplifting. If you have a reasonable chance to beat a criminal charge in court, the lawyers fees may be the best money you ever spent. read more

Texas “No Refusal” Weekends Target Drunk Drivers

Texas is one of the few states that regularly holds “no refusal” weekends of aggressive DWI enforcement and prosecution. They may be employed on holiday weekends, or anytime law enforcement believes there may be an abundance of drunk drivers on the roads.

The term “no refusal” refers to a law enforcement tactic where they are set up to forcefully take of blood evidence from a suspected drunk drivers. read more