Back in the day, the spousal privilege applied in assault cases. Spouses had an absolute right to refuse to testify in these situations. But the law changed several decades ago. The domestic assault trial of former Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon was one of the first times...
Parker County Criminal Defense Blog
Coming Soon to a Police Stop Near You: Roadside THC Tests
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a saliva test which determines the level of marijuana in a person’s system. A person gives a small saliva sample, and the test administrator places that sample on a THC sensor. Then, “within 30 seconds, within a...
Indoor Swimming Pool Drownings: What You Need to Know
The early North Texas winter prompted many families to seek solace in one of the area’s indoor swimming pools. That sudden attendance spike caught some local pools off guard, setting the stage for serious injury. Indoor pools usually depend on a careful balance between drains ...
Convicted Child Kidnapper Receives Life Sentence
A month after a Fort Worth federal jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced 51-year-old Michael Webb to life in prison. According to evidence presented at trial, Webb approached the girl and her mother on a Ryan Place street. He overpowered the girl’s mother, put the 8-year-ol...
Deadly Fireball Wreck in Denton
The multi-vehicle collision, which shut down I35W in both directions, killed three people and injured three others. Investigators believe that speed may have caused the crash. But by the time emergency responders arrived, little was left other than wreckage. The collision involv...
Early Discharge from Probation: What You Need to Know
Probation, or community supervision, is usually a good alternative to incarceration. However, it is certainly not a perfect alternative. Direct costs, such as probation fees, add up over time. Additionally, it is difficult to continually adhere to restrictive conditions, like re...
Five Tarrant County Search Warrant Exceptions
The right to privacy runs deep in the Constitution. Specifically, the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. In Tarrant County criminal court, “unreasonable” is not a subjective term. In fact, unless officers had a warrant based on probable cause or t...
Obtaining Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries
In 2018, homeowners’ insurance companies paid some $675 million to resolve dog bite claims. That amount has increased steadily over the past several years, as have the number of claims and the per-claim average dollar amount. Typically, dog bites cause very serious injuries. A...
Deadly Fireball Collision on SE Loop 820
A fatal accident on westbound Interstate 20 illustrates two commonly-used insurance company defenses in car wreck claims. The wreck occurred near the Campus Drive exit. According to police, a blue car was stalled in a traffic lane. The car did not have its lights on. As officers...
Top Five Prescription Drug Crimes in Parker County
Since 1999, drug overdoses have killed about 800,000 Americans. That fatality rate makes poisoning one of the leading causes of injury-related death in the United States. Many of these fatalities are directly related to prescription drugs, mostly painkillers. Other fatalities are...
