For some families, having everyone together under one roof is a joyous celebration. For others, this could be a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, the holidays can remind bitter ex’s of the way things used to be, and can cause a person to become depressed and irrational. Also, some family members may have high expectations for how they want the holidays to play out.
If a holiday does not turn out the way that this individual expected, the added stress and disappointment may send this person over the edge. The National Institute of Justice says that this condition is called familicide. There are certain risk factors which put a person at a high probability to struggle with familicide. For example, if a person has a history of domestic violence, access to a gun, and a prior history of substance abuse this typically puts that individual at a high risk to familicide. Sometimes an uninvited family member can also attend a Thanksgiving celebration unexpectedly, and this can result in altercations that can lead to arrests.
If you are arrested for a domestic violence act this year during the Thanksgiving celebrations, then you are going to want an attorney on your side to represent you. A Houston criminal defense lawyer at The Martinez Law Firm can help you with your case and will represent you in the best light possible. Maybe you were mentally unstable at the time of your action, or you may be innocent. Sometimes bitter relatives will accuse an innocent relative of physical or sexual abuse in order to get even.
If you are accused of any domestic crimes, hire an aggressive Houston criminal defense attorney to come alongside you immediately. You will want someone who can be tactical in helping you with your case and will be able to evidence your innocence.
Forgery is a serious offense and it is punishable as a felony in all fifty states. In most cases, it is penalized as a federal offense; and is defined as the crime of making, altering, use, or possession of false writing in order to commit a crime or fraud – especially, if a person fakes another individual’s signature or imitates handwriting on important documents.
When a person commits forgery, the person must intentionally alter a document in a dishonest way; which means not only faking signatures, but can also be altering existing writing if the changing of the material affects a person’s legal rights. Deleting, adding, or changing significant portions of a document can also be considered an illegal or forged alteration.
In order for false writing to be considered forgery, the writing must have apparent legal significant. For example, if a person forges a passport, driver’s license, or government-issued document then this will constitute forgery. A document need not necessarily be a legal or government- issued document. It simply needs to affect a person’s rights and obligations in order to be considered fraud.
In order to be guilty of forgery, the defendant must intend to defraud someone or some entity; as a federal law, it is punishable by a fine and up to fifteen years in prison. Federal law also prohibits forms of falsification such as counterfeiting money, or faking immigration documents and military discharge certificates.
If you want to learn more about forgery crimes, or if you have been charged with forgery and now want assistance in your case, then contact a lawyer at The Martinez Law Firm today. With the right attorney there to help you, you will be able to tackle your case with confidence and may be able to avoid serious penalties associated with forgery.
In the state of Texas, it is illegal to commit any offense that qualifies as racketeering. Essentially, racketeering is the federal criminal act of engaging in an illegal business act or running an illegal or illegitimate business. RICO is the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organization Laws which make it particularly illegal to profit from an illegal business. The goal is to stop the flow of income to criminal organizations that ultimately use the profits to fund their illegal activities.
If you are accused of racketeering in Texas, there are a variety of defenses that you may be able to use to argue your side of the case. For example, if you can prove that you are not a member of the criminal organization that you were affiliated with, then you may be able to avoid any punishment. Also, if you can prove that you didn’t have any knowledge that your actions were furthering the agenda of a criminal organization, then you may be able to avoid penalties. For example, if you were deceived into thinking you were working with a legal organization when you were really working for a criminal operation, you may be able to prove that you were mistaken.
If you are convicted of racketeering in Texas, you will typically be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. In some cases individuals can be charged with a felony, even a first degree felony depending on the nature of the organization. Racketeering can sometimes be an additional crime. For example, if you are affiliated with an organization that supplies hit-men to those wanting to commit a murder, and you commit the murder, then you will be charged with both murder and racketeering. Learn more about this crime by talking with a Houston criminal defense attorney. With the right lawyer on your side you may be able to avoid serious penalties. Contact the firm today if you want to learn more!
Hair extension theft is an unusual charge that a few women were recently charged with in Houston. People can steal virtually anything and be arrested for theft crimes. Recently, four women were captured on camera stealing an unlikely target: hair extensions. The women tried to use social media websites to sell the stolen products and were arrested as a result. The offense was captured on a surveillance camera on September 16th at a shop called Mr. Indian Hair. The shop’s owner says that he was probably the victim of the hair extension theft because they are extremely high in demand due to the desire for thick, volumized hair.
The human hair extensions sold at the shop cost between $150-$200 and the average woman purchases three separate pieces in order to add to her full head of hair. The surveillance video shows the four women walking into the store and talking with the one clerk inside. The women asked the employee about a piece of hair that was only stored in the back and the clerk went back into storage to get the piece. At this time, the women grabbed several hangers of hair and a fourth woman ran out to get the getaway car ready.
The store owner says that the women stole about $15,000 to $20,000 worth of hair from the store. He couldn’t identify the thieves using the surveillance video, but there was a break in the case when some individuals informed the man that his products were being sold on the street and vie an Instagram shop.
This tip helped the police identify the four suspects right away. All of them face a felony theft charge for their crime. If you have been arrested for shoplifting theft, then talk to a Houston criminal defense attorney today to learn more. With the right lawyer on your side, you will be able to seek defense in your case and possibly avoid serious charges.
A disabled marine was saddened when he found his car had been targeted by vandals in Houston over the weekend. The individual says that he has battled Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) since coming home from the war, and relies on his service dog to help him manage all kinds of stress.
It did not help his stress levels when he discovered that his car was heavily vandalized. The 28-year-old disabled Marine veteran who served in Iraq says that he woke up to see graffiti all over his car. There were racial slurs, spray paint vulgarities, and inappropriate words strewn all over the car. The veteran says that the mirrors were also painted black and the bumpers were busted off of the car. The veteran says that he suffered extreme embarrassment after he found his car so damaged.
The veteran currently lives off of his disability checks. He says that he did his best to clean up his ’96 Ford Escape after the incident but was not able to remove all of the grafitti. Neighbors say that other cars in the Houston area have also been vandalized, reportedly by the same group of delinquent teenagers. The Marine believes that without his service dog, he may not have been able to handle the frustration of the vandalism.
Vandalism of an automobile is a serious offense, and those who are charged with this crime in Houston can face grave penalties if convicted. Oftentimes the Texas courts will charge vandalism as criminal mischief, depending on the extent of the damage, the crime can either be a misdemeanor or a felony. Felony vandalism holds state jail time. Because most car vandalism cases cost thousands of dollars in repairs, they are typically considered state jail felonies. If you want more information contact a Houston criminal defense attorney today!
I was at a get together this weekend when the topic of money laundering came up. Not surprisingly, most people thought that a money laundering arrest involves millions of dollars like it is shown in movies like Scarface or Blow. While money laundering does stem from alleged drug dealing like those films the arrests in Houston, Texas do not involve that much cash. The typical case in Harris County, Texas involves a young person that is carrying a gym bag that is fully loaded while acting nervous around law enforcement, the police. What is surprising to me is that the young person typically gives the police consent to search their bag. In most instances, the police only have a hunch that is something is afoul and get lucky that the person does not know that they have the right to refuse the search. The typical “mule” is carrying $50,000 to $100,000 in cash, is under 30, and receiving less that $5,000 for transporting the money. They are a far cry from Tony Montana or George Jung.
The Houston Police are currently on the lookout for a “wigged bandit” and three other suspects that are responsible for a bank robbery in Heights. The FBI is also aiding in the search to hunt down the men who robbed a local credit union earlier in the week. According to investigators the armed men went into a Texas Dow Employees Credit Union and demanded cash from those behind the counter. They escaped from the scene of the crime unharmed.
One man wore a woman’s wig, and the others concealed their faces with masks and sunglasses. If caught, the Houston Police will press charges against the men and see that they are punished for their actions. If you want information about bank robberies or if you have been arrested for a theft crime and would like an aggressive lawyer on your side, then you need to contact a Houston criminal defense attorney at The Martinez Law Firm today!
<span><p>In the city of Houston, crime is somewhat common. In data collected from 2011, there were 198 murders in the city of Houston, meaning that there were 9.2 murders per 100,000 individuals in the city. There were also 771 cases of rape that were reported that year, and 8,054 robberies. There were 765 cases of arson, which is the act of setting fire to buildings deliberately to cause damage. As well, there were 12,281 auto thefts and 11,869 reported cases of assault. The most common crime in the city of Houston in 2011 was theft in general, with 68,596 reported cases.</p>
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In 2010, there were more murders than in 2011, and there were less rape
cases. As well, there were more robberies, more
<a href=”/Criminal_Defense/Assault.aspx”>assaults</a>, more burglaries, more
<a href=”/Criminal_Defense/Theft_Crimes.aspx”>thefts</a>, more auto thefts and more
<a href=”/Criminal_Defense/Arson.aspx”>arson</a> cases. This shows that the Houston police department and other authorities
are working very hard to reduce the crime rate in this city. While this
is a noteworthy accomplishment, crime is a terrible thing, and the government continues to fight to reduce the numbers for this year and years to come. That means that sometimes law enforcement can be over-zealous to find offenders, and may falsely arrest Houston citizens.
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If you have been charged with a crime, you want an aggressive
<a href=”/Attorney_Profile.aspx”>Houston criminal defense lawyer</a> such as Herman Martinez, on your side right away. Attorney Martinez is a former prosecutor who knows many individuals in the Houston court system and understands both sides of the law. He is more than willing to take on your case and help you work through the charges that you are currently dealing with. Don’t wait to get help, contact the firm right now and receive a <a href=”/Case_Evaluation.aspx”>free initial consultation</a> where you can discuss the details of your case confidentially. If you’re looking for the best criminal defense you can get, look no further.
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In many states, loitering is illegal. Loitering is typically the action of wandering from place to place without any apparent business. Normally, the court must prove that the accused posed some sort of threat to society or public safety in order to charge that person with the crime. If a police officer sees a person that is loitering, normally that officer can demand identification and an explanation of the persons’ personal activities. If the person fails to comply, then the officer can arrest him or her. Laws are very specific that an officer must have observed that an individual was loitering before asking for identification.
Many people argue that officers use loitering laws to clear neighborhoods of homeless or undesirable people who tend to congregate on the streets. Some courts believe that these laws are unconstitutional on the grounds that they are discriminatory against the poor people. The safest place to challenge the validity of a loitering law or loitering arrest is in the court room. You will want a hardworking Houston criminal defense attorney to assist you if you believe that you mistreated on the grounds of loitering and want to set the record straight.
With a Houston criminal defense lawyer from The Martinez Law Firm on your side, you may be able to show that your arrest was discriminatory, unconstitutional, or unwarranted. You may also be able to show that you were in a specific place for a specific reason. If you were not granted the right to remain silent during your arrest, and were taken into custody because you failed to answer an officer’s questions, then you can also argue that this is a violation of you Miranda Rights. Contact an attorney at The Martinez Law Firm to discuss your specific case in detail with a trusted professional!
Road rage is the act of driving angrily and aggressively without any regard to other motorists out on the road. Those who are struggling with road rage tend to speed, cut other off, tailgate, and do a variety of other dangerous or foolish acts. If a driver who is displaying road rage ends up in a fatal accident, then that man or woman can be arrested and may be charged with vehicular manslaughter. This is because the witnesses may be able to evidence that the driver was operating his or her vehicle with reckless intent.
If you have been arrested for vehicular manslaughter stemming from road rage, then you need to hire a local criminal defense attorney to help you combat your crimes. Without a hardworking lawyer on your side, you may be convicted of this serious crime and may eventually be jailed as a result. Even if you merely injured a person in a car accident due to road rage, it could still lead to a charge and a conviction for vehicular assault. This is especially true if you were angry at the driver and then bumped his or her car or facilitated an accident out of anger.
Many times, road rage accidents may be the result of a DWI. Some intoxicated individuals become excessively angry, and may even cause accidents as a way to vent their anger at drivers out on the road. Even a driver who does not have an illegal BAC above the 0.08% threshold can be arrested for this crime and charged with vehicular assault or manslaughter if the alcohol caused aggressive and irritable behavior. Those who are driving with a BAC above 0.08% may be arrested for dual crimes. Talk to a
Houston criminal defense attorney today if you want more information about how aggressive driving or road rage can affect a case and how to combat accusations.