Criminal Defense

Are Prostitution Sting Operations Considered Entrapment?

Published: Aug 11, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

To determine who is engaging in prostitution around Texas, law enforcement officers will often pretend to be prostitutes, pimps, or other individuals involved with the illicit activity. By acting like a prostitute or pimp, police officers end up meeting and speaking with people who are interested in meeting with prostitutes. Once individuals attempt to purchase a sex act, the officers then reveal their identity and arrest them. Whether the sting was conducted online or in person, it has serious consequences for those charged and raises a lot of questions. One…

How Does Alcohol Affect Consent?

Published: Jul 31, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

In every state, specific laws determine an age at which an individual can consent to sexual activity with another person. Under Texas law, a person who is 17-years-old or older has the right to consent to any type of sexual activity, but you should learn how consuming alcohol can impair your judgment and thereby your ability to give and/or receive consent. If you’ve been charged with a sex crime and alcohol was involved, contact an experienced Houston sex crimes attorney from The Law Offices of Ned Barnett today at (713)…

New Texas Law Leads to Rape Kit Reform

Published: Jul 21, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

Under a new law that goes into effect September 1, 2017, the Texas Department of Public Safety will create a statewide database for all rape kits, enabling them to track each kit from collection to analysis. The law is a first step towards addressing the backlog of 20,000 or so untested rape kits across the state–each one representing an unprosecuted sexual assault. Although the bill does not mandate the analysis of backlogged rape kits, it will enable rape survivors to track their DNA samples, and make it less likely that…

Texas Ranked Third in Nation for Internet Crimes

Published: Jul 14, 2017 in Criminal Defense

With the growth and popularity of the Internet, it is no wonder a great deal of criminal activity has shifted away from physical, face-to-face interactions and now takes place online. From fraud to identity theft, the Internet can easily be used to unlawfully benefit individuals. It is all too simple to create false personas and transactions to obtain someone’s trust and then their information, money, and/or property. The Internet is also rife for misunderstandings and mistakes, which can lead individuals to be falsely accused of crimes. If you have been…

Break Down of the Bill Cosby Mistrial

Published: Jul 07, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial has ended in a hung jury. You may find this surprising since the weight of the evidence–or at least public opinion–largely pointed to Cosby’s guilt. But in criminal trials, judges instruct the members of the jury to acquit defendants if they have any reasonable doubt about their guilt. In this case, the defense successfully convinced at least some of the jurors that there was a reasonable possibility that Cosby did not sexually assault Andrea Constand, the alleged victim. Dozens of women have come forward about…