Texas prosecutors will often try and “enhance” a criminal case by charging the defendant with “engaging in organized criminal activity” or EOCA. This is the state equivalent of the federal RICO statute. It essentially enables the government to charge a defendant with participating in a criminal organization in addition to the underlying criminal act. An […]

Very few people are actually prepared to be placed under arrest. There are, however, a few things that you should keep in mind if you find yourself in this situation, as failing to comply with certain orders could result in additional charges of resisting arrest. We also all have certain rights when being detained and […]

Criminal offenses that are considered to be less serious are usually charged as misdemeanors and so may not come with particularly severe penalties. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule, as Texas law requires courts to apply minimum sentences in certain misdemeanor cases. To learn more about these rules and how they could […]

Most people know that driving while under the influence of alcohol is illegal in all 50 states. Many are unaware, however, that in Texas, drivers can be charged with DWI even if they haven’t ingested any alcohol, but are under the influence of marijuana. These types of charges tend to be more complicated than those […]

Plea bargains, or plea agreements, are a kind of compromise that a defendant makes with a prosecutor. Basically, in exchange for entering a certain plea in a criminal case, the state agrees to change or reduce other charges, or even to lower a person’s sentence. While plea bargains can place defendants in a better position […]

White collar crime allegations are taken very seriously in Texas, even though they are by definition, non-violent offenses. For this reason, most of those who are accused of committing a white collar crime end up facing felony charges. Some of the more minor offenses, however, can be charged as misdemeanors, which tend to have much […]

It is not uncommon for people to be charged with a sex crime regardless of their intent, especially if there is confusion amongst the parties about what qualifies as consent. For this reason, having an understanding of what consent means under Texas law is crucial, including how a person’s age or intoxication level could affect […]

Unlike many other states, Texas doesn’t actually discriminate between different kinds of theft. Whether a case involves a robbery, shoplifting, or embezzlement, offenses involving the unlawful taking of someone else’s property are typically charged as theft. The exact charges that a person faces, however, will differ depending on the value of the items that were […]

In Texas, motorists who are accused of driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more could face charges of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). If, however, a driver turns out to be under the age of 21 years old, he or she will likely be charged with Driving Under the Influence of […]

Being convicted of domestic violence can have devastating consequences for the parties involved, especially if the conviction was based on untrue or exaggerated allegations. Fortunately, just because a person has been charged with domestic violence does not mean that he or she will need to spend time in prison. In fact, there are a number […]