During a traffic stop, an officer may ask a motorist to take a breath or blood test if there is reasonable suspicion that the motorist is drinking and driving. Refusing to submit to field sobriety tests can result in severe consequences for Texas motorists.
Not all criminal offenses result in incarceration. In some instances, the courts believe that justice is best served whenever the defendant is ordered to pay a monetary fine. In other cases, fines may be assessed in addition to jail time, probation or community service.
Police officers sometimes work undercover or perform “sting” operations in order to catch criminals. There is a very fine line between performing an investigation and entrapment. Entrapment occurs whenever law enforcement agents induce an individual to commit a crime that he or she normally would not have committed. Undercover officers who merely provide an opportunity […]
The verdict or final decision in a criminal trial can sometimes come down to the testimony of one particular witness. In some cases, a witness may be unavailable to testify, and when this happens, it raises the question of whether or not a statement can be admitted instead. This is known as hearsay evidence. Admitting […]
Texas is known for being tough on crime, and that often involves sentencing juvenile offenders as adults. When juveniles are tried as adults, this can sometimes result in them being locked away for a very long time. Even so, sentencing minors to life without parole has been declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
