It is the first billboard of its kind in the area, but if it works, H0uston may see more of these technological crime stoppers popping up in the near future. The first criminal to be displayed on the billboards is the so-called “Reckless Robber,” wanted for a number of bank robberies.

Houston criminal attorneys say the billboard may be an effective tool to fight crime, but wonder about the security of the device. If it can be easily hacked, it may be more of a danger to citizens than a helpful tool.

To read more on the device, see the article on ABC News. Image Via igboo [Flickr]

Because defense of white collar crimes can often add up fast, a judge calculated that the defense of these men will be worth a minimum of one million dollars. Rather than have tax payers spend their money on the matter, the judge has decided that the insurance company, Lloyd’s of London, will be responsible for footing the bill. A company policy states that they will be responsible for legal costs of directors and officers, but Lloyd’s has so far refused to pay for the legal bills on the grounds that the company believes they are guilty.

Judge Hittner rebuked their argument, saying it was “absurd because these circumstances are precisely why corporations procure D&O insurance on behalf of their directors and officers…it would contravene the very purpose of the policies — as well as the policy language itself — to require (the accused) to prove their innocence before being entitled to funds for their defense.”

To read more about the decision, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image via colinmford [Flickr].

The Houston Chronicle has reported that over 300 guns are waiting to be tested as well. The lab director has defended her team by explaining that new staff members are on the way and that in a little over a year, robotics will help speed up the testing process even more. She says their current priorities are crimes that involved violence and crimes where suspects have already been identified.

Houston criminal lawyers seem to agree that while the backlog is disappointing, the police department has set its priorities right, as testing evidence in cases with suspects can help reduce the number of persons wrongly charged and arrested for crimes.

Image via Svadilfari [Flickr]

Unfortunately, the backlogs will have to wait a while, because only $475,000 has been allocated for this fiscal year. For now, the Houston Police Department is expected to prioritize their cases in order to process the most important and pressing matters first, particularly those where suspects have already been identified. Houston criminal attorneys say these are the most critical situations because they also may help release innocent suspects from wrongful accusations.

The huge backlog has been able to pile up as the police forensics department has been understaffed for some time.

To read more about the issue, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image via NobMouse [Flickr].

Researchers say this data is only valid in Texas, as the state is the only one to perform executions on a frequent enough basis to show statistically significant results. Skeptics are still wary of the data though and claim the results do not take other factors into account and that the number of executions is still not enough to provide accurate survey results. Houston criminal lawyers are among the many people to remain unconvinced of the positive effects of the death penalty. Proponents of the study claim that many people will deny the results solely because they oppose the punishment.

Six people are already scheduled to be executed this year, two just this week.

To read more about the findings, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image Via brdavids [Flickr].

He resigned on Tuesday, only a few days after the jury decision and two days before the sentence is scheduled to take place. He was sentenced to the maximum punishment for the charge, including 30 days in jail, 200 hours community service, two years probation, $4000 in fines and a legal course on ethics.

For now, he is still remaining free, as his conviction is under appeal.

To read more on the on-going story, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image Via hyku [Flickr].

“He told me that if I wasn’t going to get interested, that I would get convicted because he’s the judge,” she said, tearfully, while testifying against Jackson in trial this week.

Venegas claims she did go out on a date with Jackson, only because she believed she had no other option. Jackson, currently suspended from his duties, is now being tried with misdemeanor official oppression. He claims that Venegas approached him about her poor court-appointed attorney and he offered to call her later that day to help. One of Jackson’s lawyers says that he acted foolishly, but only because he was tempted by the younger woman who was trying to manipulate her way out of a DWI. His other Houston criminal attorney says there was no sexual harassment nor any deprivation of the woman’s rights as a defendant, which are two critical aspects of an official oppression charge.

To read more about the issue, see the article in the Houston Chronicle. Image Via Hans S [Flickr].

The law in question was enabled as a federal statute in 1988 and it criminalizes the act of “depriving another of the intangible right of honest services.” The 28 word-long law has the justices scratching their heads as it could technically be used against any worker who has committed mild transgressions such as calling in sick in order to have a day off. Justice Stephen Breyer (pictured at right) has said “Perhaps there are 150 million workers in the United States, I think possibly 140 million of them would flunk” a vague honest services test. Justice Scalia called the statute a “mush of language.”

The deputy solicitor general representing the government in the case, Michael Dreeben, argued that the crime is only created for cases where the defendant had an “intent to defraud” their employer or the public and where the breach of conduct was significant.

Skilling’s appointment with the high court is still waiting to be heard, but his arguments are expected to center around the concept of private gain. He does not believe the honest service law should apply to someone who was not working to their own personal ends.

Decisions for all three cases related to the law will likely be issued in June.

To read more about the hearings, see the article in the Houston Chronicle.

Curvis Bickham was connected to a homicide based on a scent lineup, where a dog was provided with scents from the crime scene and then walked by a series of containers holding swabbed samples of scents from the suspect and other persons not accused of the crime. If the dog finds a match, it barks or otherwise signals the handler to the container that matches the scent from the crime.

Critics of scent lineups say that the chances of cross contamination are very high in these types of tests, they also claim that the tests are usually not controlled very well. Many states will not allow scent lineups to be entered into evidence, but Texas is not one of those states.

The specific trainer of the dog in Mr. Bickham’s case, Deputy Keith A. Pikett, is now under fire and the subject of around six lawsuits. One of the attorneys filing suit against the trainer called him a “charlatan.” In many of these cases, the scent lineup served as the primary evidence, even when contradictory evidence readily pointed to the suspect’s innocence.

In Mr. Bickham’s case, he and his Houston criminal lawyer found the murder charges to be outrageous, as he suffers from bone spurs, diabetes and partial blindness. The main evidence linking him to the crime was the crime scent lineup conducted by Deputy Pikett. Since his arrest, Bickham lost his home and was forced to sell his car to afford his defense attorney. “I lost everything,” Mr. Bickham said, because of “a nothing case.”

To read more about these cases, see the article in the New York Times. Image Via ann-dabney.

“With a lot more unemployed people, a lot more people are staying home, and they see more in their neighborhood,” said Sgt. Thomas Lasater, supervisor of the burglary unit of the police department in St. Louis County, Mo. His department has seen a 35% drop in burglaries in the first six months of the year.

The rates vary drastically by city. In Houston, they have risen a small amount in the last year, but only after going through a substantial drop in the two years prior.

To read more about the phenomenon, see that article in the Associated Press. Image Via arvindgrover [Flickr]