By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist The difference between murder and manslaughter in Texas comes down to one word: the mental state. Murder requires that the defendant acted intentionally or knowingly. Manslaughter requires only recklessness. That single distinction determines whether a defendant faces a first-degree felony (5–99 years or life) or […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist In Texas homicide cases, the prosecution builds its case on forensic evidence. DNA, blood spatter, ballistics, digital forensics, toxicology, autopsy findings, and cell tower data are presented to the jury as scientific proof that the defendant committed the killing. Jurors tend to trust this evidence […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Felony murder is one of the most misunderstood charges in Texas criminal law. A person who never intended to kill anyone and who may not have even been the one who caused the death can be charged with murder or capital murder if someone dies […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist If someone you love has been arrested for murder in Dallas County, the next 48 to 72 hours will be some of the most critical of the case. Bond will be set. Conditions will be imposed. The investigation will continue. And the decisions made at […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist On September 1, 2021, House Bill 1927 went into effect, making Texas a “permitless carry” or “constitutional carry” state. The law fundamentally changed the landscape of gun rights and gun crime prosecution in Texas. Before HB 1927, carrying a handgun, openly or concealed, without a […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Most people assume that words alone cannot result in a criminal charge. In Texas, they can. Under Penal Code §22.07, a verbal statement, a text message, a social media post, or even a gesture can be prosecuted as a terroristic threat which is a charge […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist On March 2, 2026, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Hemani which is a case that could fundamentally reshape how the federal government prosecutes gun crimes against people who use marijuana. A majority of the justices, conservative and liberal alike, expressed […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Kouri Richins was convicted of aggravated murder last week in a Utah courtroom. The prosecution’s theory: she poisoned her husband Eric with a lethal dose of fentanyl (nearly five times the fatal amount) mixed into a Moscow Mule cocktail on the night of March 4, […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist A peer-reviewed study published in Veterinary Sciences examined what happens when equine veterinarians perform abdominal ultrasounds on horses using ethanol as a coupling agent which is a standard, routine procedure in equine medicine. The veterinarians did not drink any alcohol. They poured or sprayed ethanol […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Right now, your phone knows where you are. It knows where you were an hour ago, yesterday, last month, and last year. If you use Google Maps, an Android phone, or any Google app with location services enabled, Google has been recording your movements in […]










