If you are pulled over or charged with a DUI (driving under the influence), you have certain rights designed to protect you from any potential miscarriage of justice. There are a series of steps anyone can take after being pulled over for a DUI or suspected DUI that can help protect an individual from wrongful conviction or unfair penalties, but right off the bat, it’s highly recommended to reach out to a criminal defense attorney...
Criminal defense attorneys defend individuals who have been charged with committing a crime; these crimes can range in severity from different classes of misdemeanors to various felonies, and the penalties for which can vary widely as well from monetary fines to prison time.
There is a common misconception that criminal defense attorneys can’t do much for someone who is guilty of whatever they have been accused of; however, this is not the...
In Texas, misdemeanors are organized into three different groups. Depending on which category a misdemeanor falls under, the case may need to be heard in the County Courts-at-Law, Municipal Court, or the Justice of the Peace courts. Misdemeanors are less serious than felonies, and typically include lesser penalties, such as community service or prison time totaling less than a year. However, despite being less severe than felonies, a misdemeanor...
In most instances, municipal courts tend to handle certain limited civil and criminal cases such as Class C misdemeanors, whereas felonies and catastrophic injury cases will likely be conducted in a higher court. A municipality is any city or town with its own local government and corporate status, so municipal courts hear cases that occur within that municipality’s jurisdiction and are generally limited to petty misdemeanors. However, New...
Driving under the influence is notoriously dangerous, both for the driver themself and anyone else unlucky enough to share the road with them. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one in three people is likely to be involved in a drunk driving collision on the road, with drunk driving accidents accounting for 28% of roadway fatalities. This is a significant percentage considering the many other causes...
If you are arrested for driving under the influence with a minor or child under the age of 15 in the vehicle, not only might you face normal DUI penalties, but you may also be charged with child endangerment and it could even result in loss of custody of the child. While loss of custody is not the most common penalty for these charges, in case of a future custody dispute, it could be extremely impactful in the judge’s decision. If you were...
For the average person without legal experience, it can be tricky to figure out what offenses are specifically handled in municipal court. It may help to know that a municipality is any city or town with its own local government and corporate status, so it follows that municipal courts handle matters which occur within that municipality’s jurisdiction. A municipal court might have limited civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases that arise in...
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one in three people are likely to be involved in a drunk driving collision, with drunk driving accidents accounting for 28 percent of fatalities on the road. Even when a drunk driving collision does not result in deaths, it often involves massive damage to property and physical harm for both parties. If you find yourself involved in an accident with a drunk driver, it can be...