A man convicted of smuggling 200 pounds of marijuana by airplane received a sentence of three years in federal prison on Sept. 22. Authorities also seized the 65-year-old man's 1969 Piper Comanche and imposed a $5,000 fine. Law enforcement apparently targeted him...
Woman found with meth after being detained
On July 31, authorities conducting a traffic stop recovered methamphetamine from a Texas woman who had outstanding warrants. The woman reportedly first told the authorities that she did not have any illegal substances on her person. As she was being booked, however,...
When do prosecutors pursue criminal charges for drug crimes?
There are numerous drug-related crimes being committed throughout the country and El Paso, Texas is not exempt. These include a wide range of criminal charges such as possession of drug paraphernalia and drug possession, to drug manufacturing and drug distribution or...
Texas coach convicted of drug charges avoids jail
When facing criminal charges, those with little experience concerning the criminal justice system likely have many questions. Fortunately, there is assistance available that can help defendants better understand their options as they deal with charges. For example, a...
Get experienced defense attorney involved early on in criminal case
When prosecutors decide to bring a case against a defendant, it is presumably because they believe they have sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction. When prosecutors choose not to prosecute, it is ordinarily because they believe they don’t have enough evidence....
Looking at limitations on the exclusionary rule
Last time, we mentioned that the exclusionary rule may be an available remedy in cases where a criminal defendant has been subjected to an illegal search or seizure. The exclusionary rule is not something that a court applies automatically, but rather some that a...
Illegal stops, police harassment increasingly documented in Texas
The legality of stops, searches and seizures is a potentially important issue in criminal defense cases. Given the recent national scrutiny on the work of police officers, it is important for every U.S. citizen to understand their rights when it comes to criminal...
Defending yourself against charges involving synthetic drugs
Under Texas and federal law, various synthetic drugs are banned on the grounds that they are highly addictive and have no medically accepted use. These drugs, which include synthetic cannabinoids. These drugs can be not only addictive, but very dangerous for users and...
President Obama commutes more sentences for nonviolent drug offenders
Readers may remember that, back in April, President Obama exercised his power of commutation by reducing prison sentences for 22 inmates in federal prisons. Many of these inmates had been serving out lengthy prison terms on convictions for non-violent drug offenses....
New Texas synthetic drug law addresses shortcomings in 2011 law, P.2
In our last post, we began speaking about a measure recently passed by Texas lawmakers that seeks to address the problem of synthetic marijuana throughout the state. In particular, the measure was intended to address a limitation in a previously passed law, under...