Broden & Mickelsen Criminal Defense Law Firm Dallas

A statute of limitation is a deadline for filing a claim or prosecuting a crime. Statutes of limitation exist in both the civil and criminal justice systems. For example, the statute of limitation for a breach of contract case is usually 10 years, although there are certain exceptions depending on the jurisdiction and the facts of the case. The common law reason behind statutes of limitat...

Using the internet to arrange or ask for sex or sexual contact with an underage individual is a serious crime under both federal law and Texas state law. Many people view the internet as a sort of Wild Wild West, in which the rules are lax and no one really polices conversations or exchanges. This is incorrect. In fact, law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels actively moni...

If you have a cell phone, you’re in good company. According to the Pew Research Center on Internet & Technology, about 95 percent of Americans own a cell phone of some kind. Among those with phones, 77 percent have a smartphone. There’s no question that mobile phones are popular, but does being common mean a device is automatically subject to a search? Do the police have a right to gr...

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a federal statute that has been around since 1970. It makes headlines every now and then in the news when federal law enforcement officials and prosecutors go after a criminal organization, such as the mafia, in a big sting designed to take down a large group of people. When President Richard Nixon first signed the RICO Act in...

No matter what kind of case you’re facing, being charged with a crime is a scary experience. It’s normal to have a lot of questions, and to worry about the possible outcomes in your case. Will this affect your career? Will you have to worry about a permanent criminal record? How you will tell your family and neighbors? This is why it’s important to work with an experienced criminal defense ...

Several years ago, Steven Spielberg made a movie called “Minority Report,” in which police officers in the future used technology to predict crimes. They were able to “see” crimes before they happened, and they arrested the future perpetrator before the crime could take place. As you might expect, this cut down on crime, but it wasn’t foolproof. Is a “predicted” crime a crime? If the actu...

Fitness trackers like the Fitbit have become popular in recent years. People use them to monitor their heart rate, keep track of how many steps they take, and help them get more restful sleep. Recently, a woman’s Fitbit may have helped the police bring her killer to justice. According to a CNN report, the woman’s husband called 911 in December 2015, claiming that an intruder had tied hi...

Most people know what’s legal and which types of behavior will get you arrested. If you rob a bank, for example, you’re going to get charged with theft. If you punch someone in a bar, you can count on being taken into custody for assault.   However, some allegedly criminal behavior exists in a gray area. In some cases, whether a person’s conduct constitutes a crime comes down to their wor...

The flooding and devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey will affect Houston and greater Texas for years to come. As people slowly begin to return to their homes and rebuild, prosecutors in Harris County and the surrounding areas have already pursued looting charges against 14 people, according to media reports. The Harris County District Attorney has also stated that “burglarizing a home ...

It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but weaponized drones may soon be hitting the skies — at least in Connecticut. Lawmakers in Connecticut have introduced a bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to use drones equipped with weapons capable of inflicting deadly force. The proposed legislation has been opposed by civil liberties groups, but is still pending ...