Public concerns over sex offenders produced tighter restrictions with the passage of Texas’ Jessica’s Law. In 2005, a repeat sex offender named John Couey abducted a nine-year-old girl, Jessica Lunsford, from her home in Florida. She was raped and murdered. Outrage over the case caused Texas, New York, and California to pass a version of […]
The differences between state and federal crimes may be complicated. Because laws overlap in the criminal sphere, criminal courts sometimes argue about in what venue a crime should be prosecuted. If a crime occurs in one state, it’s typically considered a state crime if it expressly breaks a federal law. If a crime is committed […]
After a person is arrested in Texas, they appear before a judge at an initial appearance hearing. The hearing occurs 48 hours after their arrest. One of the things on the agenda during an initial appearance hearing is setting bail. A qualified attorney can help guide you through this process. HAVE YOU OR A LOVED […]
A felony charge is the most serious type of offense in Texas. For instance, types of felony crimes include murder, robbery and burglary. The lowest felony category is a state jail felony. The highest felony charge is capital murder. Punishment for a felony conviction ranges from a 180 days in state jail to death depending […]
While it is always troubling to be accused of any type of crime, people who are accused of a sex crime face a particularly difficult set of challenges. Sex crimes often bring feelings of outrage from the public and the defendant feels embarrassed for being accused of something so terrible. However, it is possible to […]
