A new Texas law will make it legal to farm hemp, which is defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC. However, there is currently no way to determine how much THC is in a given product. A lack of sufficient testing has resulted in 235 cases being dropped in Tarrant County since June 10. The Dallas County Crime Lab has said that it won't take new cases until the issue is fixed. A representative from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said that he wouldn't want to proceed with cases that are difficult to prove. The current lack of adequate testing procedures may cause other problems that lawmakers are unable to anticipate. For instance, dogs trained to sniff for marijuana may alert to substances that are legal under state law. The cases that have been dropped could be pursued after testing protocols have been established. Individuals who are charged or convicted of drug crimes may face a variety of consequences. For instance, an individual may be held in custody after being charged if he or…Read More
In Texas and across the United States, domestic violence is unfortunately a common occurrence. An act of domestic violence takes place when a family member commits a violent act against another person in the household. Harming a child and abusing a spouse are two examples of domestic violence. The legal term applies to any person residing in the same household, including a spouse or an unmarried partner. The sexual orientations of the involved individuals do not matter. “Spousal abuse” is a commonly used term for domestic violence. An act of domestic violence typically occurs when the victim is physically or psychologically abused in a repetitive way. Sexual assault is a serious crime, but minor offenses are also acts of domestic violence. There are various levels of domestic violence, ranging from minor to severe injuries inflicted on the victim. Another crime pertaining to domestic violence occurs when an abuser disregards a restraining order. Consequently, any person can easily fall victim to an act of domestic violence. Most cases involve hitting a person or pushing the victim…Read More
A Bexar County Sheriff's Office corporal who worked in the county jail's detention unit has been taken into custody and charged with drug possession, drug possession with the intent to distribute and bribery. He was transferred to a detention facility in another county to avoid a conflict of interest according to the BCSO. The 30-year-old man, who joined the BCSO five years ago, was apprehended at a gas station at the intersection of Broadway and Interstate 410 on the morning of May 25 after BCSO deputies, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and San Antonio Police Department officers allegedly saw him purchase Suboxone and heroin from a known drug dealer. The 33-year-old man accused of selling the narcotics was also taken into custody. The multi-agency force had been investigating the smuggling of drugs into the Bexar County Adult detention Facility and had been told that the two men planned to meet at the gas station to conduct business. The Bexar County sheriff said in a press statement that the man had been smuggling drugs into the…Read More
A 31-year-old Texas woman was charged with intoxication assault in the early morning hours of May 11 after her vehicle was involved in a serious accident in Uptown Dallas. The collision took place at the intersection of McKinney Avenue and Boll Street at approximately 12:30 a.m. according to a Dallas Police Department report. After being taken into custody at the scene, the woman was taken by officers to the Dallas County Jail. She was later released after posting a bond of $5,000. Police say that the woman's Mercedes sedan struck the passenger side of an SUV as it proceeded southbound on McKinney Avenue. A female passenger in the SUV was rushed by paramedics to the Parkland Memorial Hospital with multiple skull fractures and cranial bleeding. Initial reports do not reveal what led police to believe that the woman was intoxicated, but they do state that she refused to take a field sobriety test. The woman is also said to have admitted to police that she had been drinking, was intoxicated and should have used a…Read More
Texas residents who are trying to lose weight often turn to diets low in carbohydrates because they cause the body to go into a metabolic condition known as ketosis. Without carbohydrates, stores of glucose are depleted quickly and the liver begins to burn fat to provide the body with energy. While this may be good news for those hoping to shed a few pounds, some experts say that it could also lead them into trouble if they are pulled over by police and asked to submit to a breath test. This is because acetone is produced when fat is burned by the liver, which can lead to a buildup of isopropyl alcohol in the breath. The companies who make portable breath-testing equipment for police departments deny that ketogenic diets can trigger the devices, and they point out that the results of roadside tests are not generally used as evidence in drunk driving cases. However, roadside breath tests do provide police officers with reason to detain motorists suspected of driving under the influence and transport them to law…Read More
A pair of Texas twin brothers are facing charges of drunk driving after a car accident on Sunday, Apr. 21. Two deputies were attending to a crash on Beltway 8 at Galveston Road when they faced another crash. In the original accident, a 19-year-old woman was killed after her car was hit by a toll road authority vehicle. Her vehicle was already stopped or moving very slowly at the time of the initial crash; the woman was in the passenger seat at the time. The 21-year-old man driving the car and the baby in the car's backseat were taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, as they investigated the initial crash and blocked traffic, the deputies were hit in a second crash by two vehicles driven by twin brothers. The 37-year-old men were driving a pickup truck and a passenger car. Police say that the two drivers caused a crash that led to the pickup truck slamming into the patrol vehicle at the scene of the original incident. They also said that both drivers were intoxicated at…Read More
Most shoppers in Texas are accustomed to the use of surveillance cameras in stores. However, some businesses are going a step further and creating digital records based on collected facial recognition data. Many stores are using this technology for security purposes to deter shoplifting and share accumulated data. This means someone perceived to be a security threat at one location could be barred from shopping at other businesses in that same data network. While shop owners generally welcome facial recognition technology, privacy advocates are concerned about the potential for overreach and abuse of data. The American Civil Liberties Union stresses the need to rein in this technology with appropriate regulations. Revenue from facial recognition is anticipated to reach approximately $10 billion. However, gaps in standards allow businesses to capture customers' images without their knowledge. Many facial recognition providers do not ask customers how they plan to use such technology because there is no requirement for them to do so. One company even has facial ID cameras that preemptively catalog all captured images to create a security watchlist.…Read More
The ongoing debate over whether graffiti should be considered art has not made any strides in making the act any less illegal. According to Texas law, defacing a property owner's land without their permission is a crime. Many people believe that these charges are minor. However, that's not always the case. Criminal Mischief In Texas, vandalism charges are known as “criminal mischief” and its penalties vary depending on the degree of damage done. Typically, defendants will face a Class C, B or A misdemeanor. Class C is issued if the property damaged costs less than $100 to repair and Class A is issued if the damage costs $750 or more but less than $2,500 to repair. However, defendants could face extreme penalties in some situations. For example, if the property owner's financial loss is $30,000 or more, the defendant could be charged with a third, second or first-degree felony charge. A state jail felony charge could also be charged for more $2,500 in damages, but less than $30,000. The more severe the charge, the higher the penalty,…Read More
The first police officer phrase to come to your mind is probably, “You have the right to remain silent.” But, in reality, should that right really be taken? If you find yourself being arrested, you'll probably be inclined to explain your side of the story. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't. Anything you say can and will be used against you Police should make you aware that your answers and behavior during questioning can be used against you. Think back on whether you've ever said anything you didn't mean while you were upset, anxious or under pressure in the past. If so, it's easy to see why choosing a lawyer to speak on your behalf removes the possibility of giving an emotionally-charged response. Otherwise, neglecting how you phrase your answer could lead the court to misunderstand your intentions. Choosing silence stops an interrogation If you explicitly tell the authorities that you want to remain silent, use the assistance of a lawyer or stop talking with the police, the authorities must end interrogation efforts. This…Read More
Texas and other states around the country establish drug free zones for a sole purpose: Protect children from exposure to drug distribution and drug use. While the intentions are good in nature, many individuals suffer harsher penalties after an arrest. Additionally, many people are unaware of what a drug free zone signifies. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 481.134 defines exactly what a drug free zone is. There are certain areas in which offenses are more severely punished, which include: Youth centers Playgrounds School buses Video arcade facilities Public swimming pools Any location owned, rented or leased by a higher institution of learning – such as a preschool, high school or university – gets 1,000 feet. On the other hand, a school bus or public pool gets 300 feet. Potential consequences of a drug free zone arrest Individuals arrested in a drug free zone face additional punishments. A simple drug arrest can turn into a serious felony charge. For certain offenses, penalties can increase by one level. Possession of substance, delivery of drugs and manufacturing of substance…Read More
