Category Archives: Drug Crime
Are Cannabis Gummies Legal In Pearland? Criminal Charges Relating To Marijuana Under Texas Laws
Marijuana is a hot topic in the United States and in Texas. With the number of states that have legalized marijuana growing, legal marijuana usage has become more common – and to some degree, perhaps, less stigmatized—than it was even a decade ago. With the increasing popularity of marijuana has, of course, come the… Read More »
What Happens If Your Teenager Is Caught With Drugs?
Any parent is bound to feel shocked and disappointed if their child is caught with any type of narcotic and charged with possession. Even in juvenile cases, drug possession can have harsh consequences for those caught and found guilty of possession. For youths, this can have lasting impacts on their future – including their… Read More »
Mental Health And Addiction; How To Handle Drug Charges When Mental Health Is An Issue
There is no question that alcohol and drugs lead to a number of societal problems, not least of which is criminal conduct. In the United States, it is estimated that 35% of violent crime victims believe their attacker was impaired by alcohol at the time of their attack, and 30% of prison inmates reported… Read More »
Opioid Addiction And Criminal Defense Options In Texas
Opioid addiction has taken a terrible toll on people across Texas and nationwide over the last two decades, and the problem shows no signs of slowing down. In 2021, over 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States, with about 70% of those deaths linked to opioids. Texas experienced over 3,000 drug… Read More »
Drug Possession Defense In Texas: Understanding Your Legal Rights
Despite changing public attitudes toward possession of certain drugs, particularly marijuana, law enforcement and prosecutors still take these crimes seriously in Texas. Each year, over 100,000 arrests are made in Texas for drug possession crimes – almost half of those for marijuana alone. Nationwide, more people are arrested for drug possession crimes each year… Read More »
Can A Judge “Infer” Evidence Was False Based On A State Actor’s History Of Misconduct?
There was a major scandal in the Texas criminal justice system back in 2012, when it was discovered that a lab technician at the state’s Department of Public Safety had been falsifying reports in drug cases. Essentially, the lab technician had been using samples from one case to generate data in another case. This… Read More »
How Police Use Traffic Stops As A Pretext To Gather Evidence Of Other Possible Crimes
Traffic stops are often a pretext used by police because they suspect the driver may be guilty of a more serious offense, such as drunk driving or possession of a controlled substance. Even when the traffic stop is a pretext, however, there must still be an actual traffic violation. Put another way, if the… Read More »
Can A Texas Judge Reject A Plea Bargain?
Most criminal cases in Texas do not go to trial. Instead, the district attorney and the defendant negotiate a plea agreement. With a plea bargain, the defendant normally agrees to plead guilty (or “no contest”) to a specified charge. In exchange, the district attorney agrees to a recommended sentence. The final agreement is then… Read More »
Can Judges “Stack” Sentences For Multiple Crimes Tried Together?
It is fairly common for prosecutors to charge a defendant with multiple criminal offenses arising from the same act or “episode.” Under Texas law, when the defendant is tried and convicted of multiple offenses in a single trial, the sentences must normally run concurrently. This rule also applied to situations where the defendant was… Read More »
Why The Location Of A Drug Crime Is Often A Critical Detail
Sometimes where an alleged crime takes place is just as important as the crime itself. There are many criminal statutes that provide enhanced penalties based on location–or, more precisely, the proximity of a crime to a specific type of building or facility. For example, a person convicted of possessing a controlled substance (illegal drugs)… Read More »