Posted on March 03, 2023 in Uncategorized

In the decade since George Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012, we've heard a lot about Stand Your Ground laws and shooting in self-defense. In Texas, a similar law is known as the Castle Doctrine. But when is it legal to shoot someone in self-defense? Is it ever legal to shoot to defend your property?

The Castle Doctrine in Texas

The Castle Doctrine is Texas's version of the Stand Your Ground laws that have cropped up all over the U.S., starting in Florida in 2005. Under the Castle Doctrine, you can use deadly force if you believe doing so will protect you, someone else, or your property.

1. Self-defense Texas law presumes that you're justified in using force to defend yourself at home when:

• Someone unlawfully enters with force, or
• Someone removes or attempts to remove you from your "castle" with force.
• See Tex. Crim. Code § 9.31 (2007). Your "castle" can be an occupied habitat like your home, an occupied vehicle, or your place of employment.

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

Living in a foreign country can be exciting as a teen or young adult. The opportunity to live and attend school in the U.S. is an adventure that about one million foreign high school and college students take each year. But what happens if you're arrested for driving while intoxicated in the U.S.? There can be serious consequences for international students who drink and drive. But this isn't something you have to figure out on your own. An expert in Texas DWI defense can help.

DWI in Texas

Texas takes drinking and driving seriously and has some severe penalties for DWI convictions. You can face a DWI charge in Texas if you are driving a vehicle in public while intoxicated. However, whether you are "intoxicated" can sometimes be a subjective judgment. Under Texas law, you can be "intoxicated" if you:

• Have a blood alcohol content of.08% or higher, or.04% if you hold a commercial driver's license, or

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

These days, dating someone you've met on the internet is just as common as meeting someone at work, at school, or via friends. It's no big deal. But with internet dating also come some modern pitfalls. It's important to understand internet dating etiquette and how actions can sometimes be misinterpreted. After communicating with someone online or having a few dates, you may want to know more about someone. But investigating too closely or engaging in some repetitive behaviors may be considered threatening by a potential love interest.

Harassment

A potential problem arising from the overzealous pursuit of an online dating partner is harassment, particularly online. Under Texas law, harassment can happen if you:

• Make an obscene comment or request after initiating communication,
• Intentionally alarm someone by telling them that someone died or was seriously injured when it's not true,

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

Sometimes Texas laws against driving while intoxicated can seem overly stringent. After all, what's the big deal about driving after a drink or two? But these laws are in place to keep drivers and those around them, including pedestrians and bicyclists, safe. A good example of why we need these laws happened recently in Houston.

Pedestrian Killed on I-45

On February 20, 2023, a man died when he was hit by a car while trying to cross I-45 in Houston on foot shortly after midnight. He was initially hit by a white Nissan and flipped over the car, where he was then hit by another car. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. According to the police, the driver of the Nissan that initially hit the pedestrian showed signs of intoxication at the scene. The police are still trying to determine if they will file charges.

Driving While Intoxicated in Texas

You can face charges for DWI in Texas if you are:

• Operating a vehicle,

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

No one means anything they say online, right? While you may assume that anything heated you say online will be tossed aside as an "online rant," that's not always the case. And if you direct your online rant at a family member or someone you're dating, you could find yourself facing allegations of domestic violence. Under Texas law, domestic violence goes beyond hitting, kicking, or other acts of physical violence. It also includes actions like stalking, harassment, threats, and emotional abuse. But can you go to jail for things you write on the internet? Is it domestic violence?

The Texas Family Violence Statute

Whether your actions fall under the Texas family violence statute will depend on your relationship with the alleged victim and your actions against them. Illegal acts against someone who is a household, family member, or dating partner may qualify as domestic violence. See Tex. Fam. Code § 71.004(2017).

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

We all know that driving while drunk is a bad idea. Of course, we want to avoid this! But it's hard for most people to know exactly where the line is between sober and drunk. How can you figure out when it's safe to drive? If you feel like your reaction time is impaired, that may be an easy decision. But what about when you've had a drink or two? Thankfully, it is theoretically possible to generally estimate your blood alcohol concentration based on your personal factors and what and how much you've had to drink.

Legal Limit in Texas

In Texas, the police can arrest you for DWI if you are "intoxicated" because either:

• Your BAC is over the legal limit of.08%, or.04% if you hold a commercial driver's license, or
• You no longer have the normal use of your mental or physical faculties.

The police can arrest you based on their subjective opinion of whether or not you are impaired. Still, they usually administer a blood or breathalyzer test to measure your BAC, which is more objective.

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

We hear about "cold cases" in the media, movies, and TV. But in reality, cold cases aren't as easily solved as in a 45-minute TV show. According to the Houston Police Department, a case becomes cold when "all probative investigative leads available to the primary investigators are exhausted and the case remains open and unsolved after a period of three years." In many cases, the police won't continue to pursue an unsolved crime if it isn't a serious felony. But what about DWIs? Will the police continue to pursue an unsolved DWI crime?

Pursuing a Cold DWI in Texas?

Typically, a DWI is not a serious enough crime for the police to pursue if they don't immediately catch the driver. For example, if someone calls in an erratic driver on the interstate and the police suspect DWI but don't find the driver, they're unlikely to continue pursuing the tip. However, under some circumstances, such as if a potential drunk driver causes an accident that seriously injures or kills someone, the police will continue to pursue it, even if it becomes a cold case.

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

Getting arrested for DWI is never good, and you're undoubtedly concerned about what will happen next and how you can defend yourself. But what if you're sure that the police didn't see you behind the wheel of a vehicle? Can they still arrest you, and how will that affect your defense? The good news is that it may affect the state's case against you. An expert in DWI defense, like Attorney Doug Murphy, may be able to use this in your defense or negotiations with the prosecutor.

What is a DWI in Texas?

You may face an arrest for DWI in Texas if you are operating a vehicle in public while intoxicated. However, the definition of "intoxicated" goes beyond an objective measure of your blood alcohol content by a blood or breathalyzer test. Under Texas law, you may be "intoxicated" if you:

• Have a BAC over the legal limit of.08%, or.04% if you hold a commercial driver's license, or

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

You may know that Texas's penalties for a DWI conviction can be steep. But what happens if the police also charge you with a serious traffic violation like running a red light or reckless driving? Can this increase your fines or jail time if the court convicts you of the DWI? In this article, we'll discuss some of the most common questions our clients have when arrested for DWI, along with serious traffic infractions.

Driving While Intoxicated in Texas

You may face a charge for DWI in Texas if you are driving in a public place while intoxicated. However, the Texas definition of "intoxicated" can be broad. You may be "intoxicated" under our penal code if:

• Your blood alcohol content is.08% or higher,.04% or higher if you hold a commercial driver's license, or
• If you no longer have the normal use of your mental or physical faculties.

So, the police can arrest you for DWI even if your BAC is below the legal limit if they believe you don't have the normal use of your faculties. This is a subjective determination of whether you are intoxicated.

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 Posted on February 02, 2023 in Uncategorized

Video is everywhere these days. Many cars have cameras, and we walk and drive past dozens of traffic cameras daily. Businesses and homes have security cameras outside and inside. And nearly every person we encounter every day has a video camera in the cell phone they carry. So, if you're arrested for a DWI, you're undoubtedly wondering what kind of video evidence might pop up in your case. And is it admissible in your trial?

When is Evidence Admitted in DWI Cases?

For evidence to be admissible in a Texas DWI case under the Texas Rules of Evidence, it must be relevant, material, authentic, and not privileged.

• Relevant: Evidence is relevant if it may make a fact of consequence to the case more or less probable than it would be without the evidence.
• Material: Evidence is material if it relates to the issues the court is deciding in your case.
• Authentic: Evidence is authentic if it is genuine and real rather than fake or forged. Often, an attorney will authenticate video evidence through the testimony of a person with knowledge of the evidence.

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