Criminal Defense

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…

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…

Why Experience in Local Houston Courts Matters in Criminal Defense

Published: Jan 31, 2017 in Criminal Defense

When something as precious as your freedom is at stake, you cannot turn to just any legal professional. Whoever represents you in a court of law will likely be solely responsible for whether or not you see a favorable resolution or even convicted of a crime. Someone entrusted with that much power should have qualifications that go above and beyond the base requirements of a criminal defense lawyer. They need experience in local Houston courts, defending against the type of crime you are being charged with, and the resources necessary…

Roadside Drug Test Kits are Prone to Error

Published: Jan 27, 2017 in Criminal Defense, Drug Crimes

A widely recognized organization known as the Innocence Project claims that anywhere between 40,000 and 100,000 innocent people are incarcerated in the United States. While the types of convictions for these prisoners vary, a significant number have been wrongfully accused of drug crimes. This is in large part due to the war on drugs, which has the goal of incarcerating as many people as possible. Aiding in this effort are faulty roadside drug test kits, which show false positives for a number of substances. Houston drug lawyer Ned Barnett knows…