Criminal Defense

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…

What Should I Do If I’m Falsely Accused of Rape?

Published: Jun 09, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

While being the subject of any criminal accusation can be incredibly stressful, if you have been accused of something as serious as sexual assault, and more particularly, the crime of rape, the consequences can be exceptionally dire. Even more difficult is the case when you have been falsely accused of rape. It is sad, but true that accusations of rape and subsequent convictions sometimes happen when the rape did not actually occur, or when the wrong person has been charged with the crime. If you have been accused of rape…

Backpage Shuts Down Adult Ads After Removing Evidence of Child Sex Trafficking

Published: Feb 17, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Sex Crimes

Backpage.com, a website that hosts classified ads, which has been the center of controversy for some time, announced in January it would remove its “adult” section of its American website. The decision came after months of scrutiny and a negative report by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which found the website knowingly facilitated sex trafficking of minors through ads in the section in question. Backpage’s legal problems stem from a lawsuit by a group of underage victims of sex trafficking, collectively known as Jane Doe, in addition to…