After years of legal wrangling between small-to-medium sized breweries and the powerful Texas beer distributor's lobby, the State of Texas has finally adopted a beer-to-go law. This new statute, which went into effect on September 1, 2019, now allows in-state breweries to sell their packaged prod...
A College Station, Texas phlebotomist was arrested on October 12, 2019, after leaving work allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The erratic behavior in this case suggests more to the story than just alcohol intoxication, but a conviction for driving while intoxicated in and of itself could b...
According to data provided by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, there have been more than 10,000 DWI charges filed in Houston this year alone. The records also reflect a 74 percent increase in DWI arrests compared to the previous year. This number averages to more than 40 DWI arrests in Harris ...
Under Texas law, prosecutors are empowered to defer adjudication of many crimes for first-time offenders. Deferred adjudication allows a defendant to plead guilty to a crime, but avoid a conviction on their criminal record if they meet certain conditions. Since 1984, that option has been off the ...
After years of development, researchers with the University of Pittsburgh have announced the development of a marijuana breathalyzer. If this device becomes accepted by the courts, it could have a significant impact on the rates of DWI drug charges. The device operates like a standard breathaly...
More than 60 cases – most involving drunk driving charges – were dismissed in New York this week after video evidence showed the arresting officer's testimony was “inaccurate.” The prosecuting attorney was so concerned about the untrue testimony of the officers that she dismissed dozens of their ...
A Houston man was arrested for driving while intoxicated on August 21, 2019, after witnesses spotted him driving without one of the front tires. The man's problems deepened from there when law enforcement discovered a small child in the car. Deputies for the Harris County Sheriff's Office arrest...
An enormous fire in Houston was a chaotic scene in the late evening hours of September 24, 2019. The fire led to an unexpected encounter for law enforcement, however, as a man was arrested for DWI at the scene. At approximately 10 p.m. on September 24, officials received multiple reports of a ma...
If you are arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, your first court appearance is known as an arraignment. Your arraignment is your opportunity to announce to the court your initial plea of guilty or not guilty. While you have the right to plead guilty at your arraignment, it is never...
It is common knowledge that a driving while intoxicated (DWI) conviction could result in steep fines, jail time, and a suspended driver's license. But did you know it can also have a serious impact on your ability to travel? These travel limitations can make it difficult to leave the country or h...
On September 10, 2019, retired NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett was arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Northwest Arkansas. After a successful college career, Mallett played briefly for the Houston Texans during his NFL career. According to law enforcement, Mallett was arrested ...
On September 3, 2019, a 56-year-old grandfather was killed while changing a flat on the side of a Houston roadway. Now, the man that struck him has been charged with murder. The accident occurred around 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2019. Jose Almanza had pulled over to the side of 1100 Sou...
A city-wide crackdown on illegal street racing in recent weeks has led to multiple arrests in Southeast Houston. According to police records, law enforcement has arrested several individuals and impounded multiple vehicles. These arrests occurred in the early morning hours of August 31 and Septem...
In January of 2019, a botched Houston drug raid led to the death of both homeowners and the injury of five officers in a chaotic shootout. Now, the officer that procured the warrant under suspicious circumstances faces felony murder charges. Gerald Goines, the former Houston police officer that ...
The law is full of unintended consequences. One of those unintended consequences for Texas lawmakers might lead to a steep drop in low-level marijuana possession cases. That outcome seems to go well beyond what Texas legislators had in mind when they passed House Bill 1325 What is House Bill 132...
A 17-year old Magnolia, Texas resident was charged on July 16, 2019, for the murder of Houston teenager Ryan Bates. The defendant, William Underwood, came to be known by the police through an alleged Snapchat video Underwood purportedly made at the crime scene. Now, the defendant has pleaded not ...
On Tuesday, July 30, 2019, the Harris County Commissioners Court resolved a class-action lawsuit regarding the constitutionality of the county bail system by approving a historic settlement. The agreement is intended to solve what a federal judge referred to as the “irreparable harm” caused by th...
Although the recent arrest of three intoxicated pilots in less than a week has generated headlines nationwide, the reality is that incidents related to intoxicated airline pilots are rare. In fact, out of the 117,000 American pilots tested for alcohol from 2010 through 2018, only 99 were above th...
A private company has announced that it has come up with a way to detect THC, the active and hallucinogenic component in marijuana, on someone's breath. The development could be a game-changer for charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) that involve marijuana in Houston and beyond. However, if...
A pair of developments in the solicitation case against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft highlights how far prosecutors are willing to go to create a conviction. Kraft's Lawyers File Motion to Exclude Video Evidence We covered the setup for the new developments in an earlier blog: Defens...
A famous actor has been charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) after crashing his car into a utility pole. The news is all over the tabloids and contains an interesting detail that may confuse lots of people in Houston, Texas: He faces multiple charges for a single incident. DWI defense la...
A local Houston teenager is facing criminal charges after he was arrested for bringing a gun and drugs into a high school in his backpack. Teenager Arrested for Having Gun and Drugs in Backpack The arrest happened on Wednesday, April 25, 2019, at the Austin High School in Houston, Texas. Accor...
It seems like there has been an explosion in the number of stores that sell hemp & CBD products in the Houston area overnight. Simply put, an important federal law changed the definition of hemp products, de-listing them from the Controlled Substances Act and legalizing many of them but not all o...
A serious car crash in Houston could have been caused by driving while intoxicated (DWI). The case, however, highlights how unfair Texas' laws of intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter can be. Child in Serious Condition After Suspected DWI Crash The crash happened just before midnig...
Robert Kraft, the owner of Kraft Foods and the New England Patriots football team, was recently arrested in Florida and charged with solicitation. Now, his defense attorneys are fighting to exclude a potentially incriminating video of him at the massage parlor. Their arguments, however, are surpr...
If you are facing DWI or other criminal charges in Texas, contact our office today to discuss your case, so we can begin working on your defense. Please provide only your personal email and cell phone number so that we can immediately and confidentially communicate with you.
