Criminal Defense

Indecent Exposure and Public Lewdness: Know the Difference

Published: Feb 04, 2020 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

The Texas Penal Code prohibits sexual conduct that is damaging to the well-being of society. This includes indecent exposure and public lewdness, and understanding the nuances of indecent exposure vs. public lewdness is important as the penalties differ significantly. As the name implies, indecent exposure involves exposing your genitals or anus in public with the intent to arouse or gratify. Public lewdness, however, is explicitly sexual conduct in public. Therefore, the penalties for public lewdness are harsher than for indecent exposure. For instance, if you get caught masturbating in public,…

Common Flaws in Online Sting Operations

Published: Oct 15, 2019 in Criminal Defense

Online sting operations in Houston and Harris County are a common law enforcement tactic to make arrests in sex crime cases, but they are not open and shut situations. If you are being investigated or have been arrested for a crime because you were caught up in online activity, don’t give up hope. The police or prosecutor may claim you were caught “red-handed,” but the facts and law may tell a very different story. Contact The Law Offices of Ned Barnett at (713) 222-6767 and set up a free and…

How the Police Get People to Incriminate Themselves

Published: Aug 30, 2019 in Criminal Defense

The use of torture and coercion to obtain confessions from suspects is unlawful. But the police may use every other possible means to get people to incriminate themselves. Law enforcement is allowed to lie to and intimidate suspects, which yields results similar to physical torture. As such, suspects often self-incriminate themselves and confess to crimes that they did not commit. The high rate of false confessions from some American interrogation techniques such as the Reid method has even led to their abolition in several European countries – including Germany. This…

Texas Sex Crimes and Securing Bail

Published: Aug 16, 2019 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

If you have been arrested for a sex crime, you don’t always have to await your trial behind bars. Instead, you may be eligible for bail. Bail is a deposit of money with the court that is returned to you if you attend all of your legal proceedings. It’s basically a guarantee that you will go to court instead of fleeing. A judge will determine your bail amount based on the severity of the offense, your criminal past, the likelihood that you will flee, and the danger you allegedly represent…

How Investigators Gather Evidence in Child Porn Cases

Published: Jul 31, 2019 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes Involving Children

Child pornography cases are taken very seriously by state and federal investigators. This is, in part, due to the difficulty of catching individuals who make, distribute, and possess such obscene materials depicting children. These days, much of child porn lives on the internet, is sent through secured connections, and is downloaded onto people’s computers and other devices. Investigators in child porn cases often focus on finding electronic data that proves a person’s involvement with child porn. Electronic data is not as infallible as prosecutors would have you believe. If the…