If you have a criminal record, you may have very legitimate concerns that its negative effects could follow you throughout your life. Background checks can reveal your criminal records to neighbors, employers, potential landlords, friends, college admissions officers, and more. Even a few minutes of searching online can bring forth records that may cause people […]
Facing Nonjudicial Punishment? Know Your Rights!
Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP) has various monikers among the branches of military service. In the Air Force or Army, non-judicial punishment is known as “Article 15”; the Marines use the term “Office Hours,” and the Coast Guard and Navy call it “Captain’s Mast.” While the names of non-judicial punishment vary from branch to branch, the purpose […]
How Can I Get My Criminal Record Expunged or Sealed in Texas?
If you have a criminal record, you may have very legitimate concerns that its negative effects could follow you throughout your life. Background checks can reveal your criminal records to neighbors, employers, potential landlords, friends, college admissions officers, and more. Even a few minutes of searching online can bring forth records that may cause people […]
Court Martial: Do I Need a Military or a Civilian Defense Attorney?
A court martial can involve strictly military-based accusations, like desertion, or more general crimes like manslaughter or arson. In either situation, when facing a general-court martial or a special-court martial, the accused service member may be appointed a free military defense attorney. Military service members facing a court martial also have the option of retaining […]
Sexual Assault in the Military: Discrimination and Discharge
According to the most recent Pentagon estimate, the number of sexual assaults taking place in the United States military declined in 2016, to 14,900 versus 20,300 in 2014. Both figures were below the estimated 2012 level of 26,000 sexual assaults. Reports of Sexual Assault Up The number of reported sexual assaults increased slightly […]
Pleading the Fifth: Your Right Against Self Incrimination
Many Americans who watch television or movies on criminal proceedings, or read news reports of trials, know that a witness can “plead the Fifth.” But what does pleading the Fifth, sometimes termed “taking the Fifth,” mean? The Fifth refers to the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. The Fifth Amendment protects citizens against self-incrimination. The Fifth Amendment […]
Can Police Take Your DNA Without Consent in Texas?
Texas is notoriously tough on criminals, but the police must still follow strict procedures or risk a challenge to the resulting arrest or conviction. One of those procedures involves the grounds and process for collecting an individual’s DNA. Dallas criminal defense lawyer Jeff King is dedicated to ensuring the cops and prosecutors follow these procedures to […]
Criminal Cases Vs. Civil Cases: How Do They Differ?
Many people are confused about the difference between civil and criminal cases. Civil and criminal are two broad categories in which cases can be filed but each follows its own procedures and carries its own penalties. However, a single act can lead to both a civil lawsuit and criminal charges, so if you are facing criminal […]
What is the Difference Between a Grand Jury and a Trial Jury?
There are two types of juries utilized in the United States criminal justice system – a grand jury and a trial jury. The majority of people are more familiar with trial juries, also referred to as petit juries. Just like a grand jury, trial juries are composed of regular U.S. citizens who have been randomly […]
Texas Castle Doctrine & Stand Your Ground Laws
When it comes to protecting yourself or loved ones from physical harm or threat of death, Texas laws give individuals the right to reasonably defend themselves from criminal intruders. Like nearly half of all states in the U.S., Texas has a Stand Your Ground law which allows residents to use force – and in some […]
What is the Difference Between a Felony and Misdemeanor in Texas?
When facing criminal charges, it is important to understand how charges are classified and the relation to potential punishment. In Texas, as in other states, the primary criminal charge classifications are misdemeanor and felony. Dallas criminal defense attorney Jeff King makes it his business to aggressively defend clients facing misdemeanor and felony claims in Texas and […]