Knowledge Vault Blog

The Knowledge Vault Blog

Forensic Science. Criminal Defense Strategy. The Law Behind the Law.

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Welcome to the Knowledge Vault Blog — where the attorneys, scientists, and forensic experts at Deandra Grant Law share what we know. This is not a typical law firm blog. It is a research library built by practitioners who teach forensic science courses, grade certification exams, and testify as experts in courtrooms across Texas.

Our Managing Partner, Deandra Grant, holds a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Science, teaches the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist courses at Axion Analytical Labs, serves on the faculty of the Borkenstein Drug Course at Indiana University, and chairs the DUI Defense Lawyers Association’s national Board Certification program. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Toxicology, and the International Association of Forensic Science Consultants. Partner Douglas Huff brings ACS-CHAL credentials and Garrett Discovery digital forensics training. Federal Defense Attorney James Lee Bright contributes decades of experience in federal criminal practice.

Inside the Knowledge Vault you will find:

Hot Takes – The latest on high profile trials, changes to the law, rulings by the Supreme Court and forensic science news.

Forensic Science & DWI Defense — Deep analyses of blood and breath testing science, GC-FID instrument calibration, partition ratio variability, in vitro fermentation, retrograde extrapolation, and the pharmacokinetics of drug impairment. Written by attorneys who don’t just challenge the science — they teach it.

Field Sobriety Test Analysis — The history, validation research, and scientific limitations of the NHTSA Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, written by a certified SFST Instructor who was the first attorney in Texas to pass the Forensic Sobriety Assessment Certification exam.

Federal Criminal Defense — Guides to federal conspiracy, sentencing guidelines, proffer sessions, grand jury investigations, asset forfeiture, and the critical differences between state and federal prosecution. Written by attorneys who practice in federal courts across Texas.

Digital Forensics & Electronic Evidence — How cell phone location data, social media records, body cameras, call detail records, and computer forensics affect criminal cases — and how to challenge them.

Sex Crime Defense — Outcry witnesses, SANE exams, DNA evidence challenges, false accusations, registry implications, and defense strategies for the most serious allegations.

Emerging Science & Policy — Roadside cannabis testing technology, marijuana rescheduling and federal sentencing, Canadian travel after DWI, and the evolving intersection of science, law, and public policy.

Texas Criminal Courts & Local Practice — County-by-county courts guides, DA office profiles, courthouse walkthroughs, and city-specific enforcement patterns across Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, and McLennan counties.

Every article in the Knowledge Vault is written or reviewed by the attorneys at Deandra Grant Law.

We don’t publish filler. We publish the analysis we wish existed when we were building our own expertise and the information our clients deserve to have access to before they walk into a courtroom.

If you are facing criminal charges or a DWI in Texas and want to speak with the attorneys behind this work, call (214) 225-7117 or visit our Schedule an Appointment page for a free, confidential consultation.

Knowledge Vault Blog

The Frank Crowley Courts Building: A Defense Attorney’s Guide for Defendants

The Frank Crowley Courts Building: A Defense Attorney’s Guide for Defendants

If you have a criminal case in Dallas County, you are going to the Frank Crowley Courts Building. Located at 133 N. Riverfront Boulevard in Dallas, this courthouse handles every felony and non-traffic misdemeanor criminal case in the county, from first-offense DWI to capital murder. For most people, walking into this building for the first […]

Marijuana Rescheduled to Schedule III — But Federal Sentences May Not Change

Marijuana Rescheduled to Schedule III — But Federal Sentences May Not Change

On December 18, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary steps” to complete the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The executive order, titled “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” followed a rulemaking process that began under the […]

Tarrant County Criminal Courts Guide

Tarrant County Criminal Courts Guide

Tarrant County is the third-largest county in Texas with nearly 2 million residents and one of the most complex criminal court systems in the state. If you are facing criminal charges in Fort Worth, Arlington, Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, or anywhere else in Tarrant County, this guide covers every court, every judge, and the key resources […]

McLennan County Criminal Courts Guide

McLennan County Criminal Courts Guide

McLennan County is a law-and-order jurisdiction with a population exceeding 260,000. If you are facing criminal charges in Waco, Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead, Robinson, or anywhere else in McLennan County, this guide covers every court you may appear in, every judge who may hear your case, and the key resources you need. At Deandra Grant Law, […]

Dallas County Criminal Courts Guide

Dallas County Criminal Courts Guide

If you practice criminal defense in Dallas County, or you represent a client facing charges here, this guide provides a complete overview of every criminal court in the Frank Crowley Courts Building: the judges who preside, their floor locations, and direct phone numbers for each court. It also covers the county jail, the District Attorney’s […]

What Is PPP Fraud — And How Is the Federal Government Prosecuting It?

What Is PPP Fraud — And How Is the Federal Government Prosecuting It?

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) distributed approximately $800 billion in forgivable loans to businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was designed to help small businesses retain employees during shutdowns and economic disruption. It was administered through private lenders, backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and funded by taxpayer dollars. The program was created […]

What Is the Difference Between DWI and DUI in Texas?

What Is the Difference Between DWI and DUI in Texas?

People use the terms “DWI” and “DUI” interchangeably because states define the crime of driving while intoxicated using different terminology. In Texas they are two separate criminal offenses with different statutes, different penalties, and different long-term consequences. Understanding the distinction matters both for knowing what you are facing and for knowing how to defend against […]

What Should You Know About Digital Evidence Before Accepting a Plea Deal in Texas?

What Should You Know About Digital Evidence Before Accepting a Plea Deal in Texas?

The decision to accept or reject a plea offer is the most consequential choice a defendant makes in a criminal case. And increasingly, that decision hinges on digital evidence — data from phones, computers, GPS records, social media, surveillance video, and online activity that the prosecution presents as proof of guilt. Too many defendants accept […]