The Kaufman County Bar met for lunch today at the courthouse. We have a great group of local attorneys. It is a pleasure to work with them. I need to attend more local bar meetings. I end up forgetting too often. Today we watched a video on lawyers and depression.…
Here is a disturbing email I received from the NORML list serv. An Austin citizen is concerned about the police using electricity bills to justify home invasion searches. I’m trying to verify this story, until then here is the email. I live in Austin Texas and the police have signed…
As part of the jury selection process I often ask potential jurors if they have ever driven after drinking. The vast majority of potential jurors answer yes. The truth about DWI is that most jurors have committed DWI in their past but did not get arrested. They only difference between…
I went to trial today in Collin County. We actually went from voir dire to closing argument all in the same day. Very efficient, but also very tiring. The Collin County courthouse is aesthetically indifferent. It does not strive for courthouse grandeur. It is content in its functionality. The outward…
In order to balance the budget a few years ago the Texas Legislature instituted an oppresive and regressive tax scheme called the “Driver Responsibility Program“. The DRP issues “surcharges” (taxes) ranging from $200-$2000 for various traffic offenses. So far, the program has taxed $900M, and collected ….$300M. Not paying the…
It looks like I will keep the blog name, at least for now. Therefore, I feel the need to give out my resume. I do not want to create the impression I was a career prosecutor or trying capital murder cases for the State. After law school my first job…
An 18 year old Stephen F. Austin student died Sunday night of alcohol poisoning. Despite years of MADD propaganda and tough underage drinking laws Nikloas Gallegos still chose to consume alcohol. Texas law does not stop young adults from drinking, only from drinking responsibly in public. MADD likes to argue…
MADD is a strong proponent of age discrimination. To MADD 18 year olds are an underclass of adults who lack the ability to use alcohol. MADD’s “Why 21” site MADD explains to young people why is necessary to criminalize their alcohol use. MADD uses a tried and true method to…
Most criminal cases still end with a Plea Bargain. In order to accept a plea bargain you must sign various documents. Most of these documents detail the crime you are charged with (range of punishment etc) and the rights you are giving up. As a society we are used to…
MADD feigns outrage to the Department of Justice report on racial profiling. MADD only opposes racial profiling because it is a roadblock (pun intended)to universal implementation of their beloved sobriety checkpoints, inter alia. As MADD works to enact these lifesaving efforts through effective legislation, we encounter resistance from representatives and…