Criminal cases increasingly turn on digital evidence. Prosecutors use data from phones, computers, GPS records, surveillance cameras, social media accounts, and cloud storage to build their cases. They present this evidence as if it were objective and irrefutable and many defense attorneys accept it at face value because they lack the technical knowledge to evaluate […]
If you or someone you love is facing criminal charges in Collin County, understanding how the court system works is one of the first steps toward protecting your rights. This guide provides a complete overview of every criminal court in Collin County, the judges who preside over them, where they are located, and how the […]
If you have been charged with a sex crime in Texas, you may feel like the outcome is inevitable and that conviction is certain and your life is over. That is not true. Sex crime charges are reduced, dismissed, and taken to trial with acquittal results in Texas courts. The path to a favorable outcome […]
Most people know that lying under oath is a crime. What many people do not realize is that lying to a federal agent during a casual conversation even at your front door, in your office, at a coffee shop, or over the phone is also a federal felony. You do not need to be under […]
When people think about the consequences of a sex crime conviction, they think about prison. But for many defendants, the collateral consequences which are the things that happen to your life outside of the courtroom and after the sentence is served are even more devastating than incarceration. A sex crime conviction in Texas can permanently […]
The federal grand jury is one of the most powerful investigative tools in the American legal system. It operates in secret, compels testimony and document production through subpoenas backed by the court’s contempt power, and has broad authority to investigate virtually any federal criminal matter. If you have received a grand jury subpoena or learned […]
In most criminal cases, a witness cannot testify about what someone else told them. That is called hearsay and it is generally inadmissible. But Texas sex crime cases have a powerful exception to this rule. Under Article 38.072 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the first adult to whom a child under 18 (or […]
Federal prosecutors have embraced digital evidence. Text messages, direct messages on social media platforms, posts, comments, photos, location data, and metadata from your phone and accounts are now standard components of the government’s evidence in drug trafficking, fraud, child exploitation, firearms, and virtually every other category of federal case. If you have been charged with […]
DNA evidence is often presented to juries as the gold standard of forensic proof: definitive, scientific, and beyond question. In sexual assault cases, a DNA match between the defendant and biological material collected from the complainant can seem like an insurmountable piece of evidence. But the reality is more nuanced. DNA evidence can be misinterpreted, […]
When most people think about the consequences of a federal criminal charge, they think about prison time. But the federal government has another powerful tool that can devastate defendants and their families: asset forfeiture. Federal forfeiture laws allow the government to seize and permanently take ownership of property that was used to commit a federal […]