One of the biggest challenges as a Houston Criminal Defense Attorney is defending a sexual assault case. The reason being is when picking a jury for this type of case most people are uncomfortable with the issues that are going to be discussed.
Additionally, when picking a jury there are always a few people that have
been victims of sexual assault or have a family member that has been a victim.

When discussing this issue publicly the person becomes highly emotional
putting me in an awkward position and potentially “poisoning”
the rest of the jury panel. Fortunately, they recognize that they will
not be a “fair” jury in this type of case. At the end of the
day, picking a jury is a misnomer. What really happens is that people
are disqualified for different reasons and the first twelve that are not
excluded or “struck” by the prosecutor and me are the ones that
get to sit as a jury.

For example, last week I was picking a jury that went to the last person
on the panel to become jurors because so many of the jury panel members
had issues with this type of case.

If you have been charged with sexual assault in Houston,
call my office immediately for the representation you need!

One of the many changes high schools have made since I attended school
is the number of children that are prescribed drugs to treat different conditions. Most of the drugs that the kids are prescribed
today are illegal without a prescription. In fact, a drug that would normally
be a misdemeanor if possessed by a person is enhanced or “bumped
up” to a felony charge if they are found to be in possession of prescription drugs in a “drug-free zone” as a school. I wonder how a parent would
feel if their child was charged with a felony for buying medication from
another student at school who has obtained the medication legally? To
make matters worse, the student that sold the drugs is unlikely to be
charged with the crime.

One other thing to keep in mind is that a child that is 17 years of age
in Houston, Harris County, Texas is considered to be an adult. Thus,
a child would be arrested, if in illegal possession of prescription drugs, along with serious offenders which would be a scary situation for the child and their parents. If you have additional questions, The Martinez Law Firm is here to help.