JOHN T. FLOYD LAW FIRM
Texas Criminal
Lawyer
EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL
DEFENSE LAWYER
TRIALS, SENTENCINGS, AND APPEALS
FEDERAL AND STATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE
"Serious Criminal
Defense Throughout Texas"
Phone (713) 224-0101
E-mail jfloyd@JohnTFloyd.com
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer
Seriously, Texas is the place...
Law and order in Texas is good, but you can be caught up in the system of justice where the punishment bears no resemblance to the crime. Texas is the number 1 place to have the death penalty. Each year many are executed here. Over one third of all U.S. executions occur in Texas each year.
Comments on Current Events In Criminal Law from the Federal Criminal Courts in Texas
June 29, 2009
A DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE
Rule 606(b) of the Texas Rules of Evidence; Conducting Inquiry into Juror Misconduct
By: Houston Criminal Defense Attorney John Floyd and Paralegal Billy Sinclair
Johnny Ray Ocon was put on trial in Ector County, Texas for the crime of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Sex offense cases involving children are the most difficult for a criminal defense attorney to try. Defense attorneys must be very careful and thorough during the voir dire of prospective jurors to identify any hidden biases a juror may harbor in such cases. It is not always easy to sift through an individual juror’s personality in the short period of time, and with a limited number of questions, to identify and isolate any prejudices the juror may have against the defendant.
Ocon’s attorney conducted a diligent and comprehensive voir dire of several dozen prospective jurors before twelve were chosen to hear the case against Ocon. Those twelve jurors took a solemn oath to be fair and impartial. Like most defense attorneys at the conclusion of voir dire and after the jurors were sworn, Ocon’s attorney knew there were probably a couple jurors who would not approach the case with an open mind despite their sworn duty to do so. But the attorney had put forth his best effort to select the kind of fair and impartial jury to which his client was entitled under both the federal and Texas constitutions.
But nothing throughout the jury selection process had prepared Ocon’s attorney for what he would encounter on the second day of the trial. During a brief recess, the attorney entered the men’s restroom in the county courthouse. He overheard someone in the next stall talking on a cell phone. The following are portions of the conversation the defense attorney heard:
The "Texas war on drugs" is putting many in the ward of the state. Now more than one in twenty is in the prison population. In many cases a conviction and sentence can be attributed to the word of a trapped informant who is trying to get a deal for himself. What do you think the truthfulness is of this source? Also some law enforcement personnel are also inclined to be untruthful in their investigations to advance their careers. A reporter of a Houston newspaper studied court data on Texas’ war on drugs, finding that most of the 58,000 convictions won by local prosecutors in the past five years “involved less than a gram of a drug.” The result is that few major dealers get caught and Texas jails are filled with users who “often find waiting lists for counseling programs so long that they are released before they can get in.”
Harris County "get tough on crime" causes many new regulations and procedures that cost taxpayers more money and creates inequities and harsh conditions. Harris County Court rules are complicated.
Here are the local district attorneys words… “Being tough on crime means protecting citizens from predators and violent criminals and making sure there is space in the prisons for those that commit violent crimes and who the public need to be protected from. I do not consider it being tough on crime to send a mother to jail for welfare fraud who worked during the Christmas holidays to provide Christmas gifts for her children.”
The resources of the state are vast with the State criminal court system, the District Attorney’s, the crime lab, and law enforcement officers. Add to that court reporters, Bondsman, Investigators, and expert witnesses from the support industry. What about the reliability of some of those departments? Take the crime labs for one. The Supreme court allows the law enforcement people to lie to you to get there convictions. Just look at any entrapment involved in cases where the police solicit the offender to break the law.
The laws are very complex and voluminous and it would be smart to familiarize yourself with these. Definition of a felony… A felony, in many common law legal systems, is the term for a "very serious" crime; misdemeanors are considered to be less serious. Crimes which are commonly considered to be felonies include: aggravated assault, arson, burglary, murder, and rape. Those who are convicted of a felony are known as felons. Originally, felonies were crimes for which the punishment was either death or forfeiture of property.
Protect your rights, know your rights, and exercise your rights defined by the Texas state constitution, statutes, rules, and judicial decisions . When a law enforcement officer questions you, ask to speak to your lawyer. When they ask permission to search your vehicle or you, politely refuse and ask to speak to your lawyer.
Do you know what happens when you are arrested and then bonded out with a bail bond?
Some of the rules you are under…
Phone check in every two weeks.
Call in the day before court.
In-person check-in on court date.
Notify agency of change of address, phone or employment.
No travel outside county.
No contact with complaining witness
What are the results of a conviction?
Loss of freedom, and the inability to get good employment ever. Loss of your reputation and exclusion from serving on a jury, just to mention a few.
Who you choose to represent your case is the most important consideration for your well being. Make sure you choose an attorney who has successfully conducted trials and is knowledgeable in your classification of criminal law.
John T Floyd Law Firm is the answer for representation in a criminal defense strategy that will ensure you get fair treatment under the law.
TEXAS CRIMINAL
LAWYER
TRIALS, SENTENCINGS, AND APPEALS
STATE AND FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE
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