On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Aug 16, 2019 | Criminal Defense
You consider yourself to be a law-abiding citizen, yet somehow, you have found yourself behind bars in a Texas jail cell. This is the first time this has happened to you, and you do not know where to start to put all this behind you and get back to your regular life....
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Aug 5, 2019 | Criminal Defense
In 2017, a federal judge ruled that Harris County’s bail system violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution by basing bail and pretrial detention decisions partly on the defendant’s ability to pay. Basically, poor defendants are...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Jul 5, 2019 | Criminal Defense
Many believe that they cannot live without their cell phone, so it came as little surprise when a New Hampshire man refused to surrender his smartphone during questioning by police. Later during the interview, one officer physically restrained the man when he tried to...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Jun 4, 2019 | Criminal Defense
Body cameras were first presented a few years ago as a way to provide evidence when specific incidents take place. Many law enforcement agencies have since gotten onboard, but the results are mixed. Initially, there was a concern on the part of law enforcement that...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | May 28, 2019 | Criminal Defense
The age of consent is generally defined here in the United States as the age at which individuals are mature enough to consent to sexual activity. The listed threshold varies from state to state, with ages ranging from 16 to 18 – it is 17 years old here in Texas....
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | May 10, 2019 | Criminal Defense
What happens after police officers arrest someone? In most cases, if the state chooses to charge the individual with a crime, the court will set bail. If the individual can afford the set bail, the officers will release the accused. If not, the accused will remain in...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | May 8, 2019 | Criminal Defense
When a group of study participants was asked to guess how many motorists would comply with a police request to search their cars, they estimated 65% would agree. In reality, over 90% comply — even when they have something to hide. The truth is, you have no...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | May 6, 2019 | Criminal Defense
In a criminal trial in the United States, there aren’t supposed to be any surprises. Prosecutors are legally required to turn over, to the defense, any evidence they have that tends to show the defendant could be innocent or deserves a lesser punishment. The U.S....
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Apr 1, 2019 | Criminal Defense
America’s mass incarceration problem is taking a huge toll on individuals, families, communities and taxpayers across the nation. Texas is at the center of the problem because it incarcerates more people than any other state: 163,703 in 2016. Since about 1980, we have...
On behalf of Killeen & Stern, PC | Feb 14, 2019 | Criminal Defense
When Warren D. was accused of sexual assault, he asked the police, “Why don’t you just give me a lawyer, dog?” He was asking for an attorney during questioning, his constitutional right. Whether through a true misunderstanding or a pretended one, the police decided he...
