Recent Articles

So That's What SOAH Stands For

Jamie Spencer
February 10, 2011 17:13

 Administrative Law Judges handle all sorts of cases for the State Office of Administrative Hearings – aka SOAH - from the tremendously boring, such as boat motor sales and use tax cases, to the no doubt endlessly fascinating scenarios where a trucking company is alleged to have failed...

Witness Chicken (The Police Version)

February 03, 2010 20:39

Maybe your client is guilty. Maybe it will be easy for the State to prove that your client is guilty. That is, if they can get their witnesses to show up. There are all sorts of reasons that defense lawyers set cases for hearings and trials, not the least of which is that they expect(well…...

SCRAM Violation? Maybe, Maybe Not...

January 23, 2010 02:49

From an out of state commenter: I received a summons today to appear in court next week. The papers did not even include what the appearance would be for. I have been on the SCRAM bracelet for two months now. This is the second time that I have been notified of violation of the bracelet. The first...

DWI Defendants Are Coming! Away! Which Way?

December 30, 2009 16:47

Just in from a marketer via email, with the title line “Thousands of DUI Defendents are Coming!”: Because we are the #1 Google ranked DUI/DWI website, thousands of DUI/DWI defendents[sic – I couldn’t bring myself to misspell it in the title of my post though] will come to...

The Will Of The People

Jamie Spencer
November 06, 2009 23:05

Here’s the text of the resolution, along with my running commentary , on last week’s City Council agenda regarding the possibility of Austin police officers - instead of registered nurses or otherwise medically qualified and trained personnel - collecting blood specimens from DWI...

A Not So Anonymous Tip

Jamie Spencer
November 03, 2009 15:45

The 911 call: Caller: Somebody's really drunk driving down Granton Road." Dispatch: Okay are you behind them, or... Caller: No, I am them. Dispatch: You am them? Caller: Yes, I am them. Dispatch: Okay so you want to call and report that you’re driving durnk? Caller: Yes. …and...

Sprung From Cages Out On Highway Nine

Jamie Spencer
September 16, 2009 06:02

From the “Tramps Like Us” version of passed-out-while-intoxicated comes this “DWI” arrest out of New Jersey: A Holmdel man was charged with driving while intoxicated after police found him lying on the grass near his parked car, police said today… Officer Paul...

Do Cops Get To Make Up New DWI Laws?

Jamie Spencer
August 24, 2009 16:50

The Dallas Morning News Crime Blog ran a story recently about stepped up DWI enforcement for a holiday weekend: The message: If you drink and drive during the Labor Day holiday, you will go to jail. That's the word from local law enforcement and the Texas Department of Transportation which...

The Last Thing You Need When You're In Trial

Jamie Spencer
August 14, 2009 03:53

…is to check your iPhone during a break and realize that one of your so-called friends has snapped an unfavorable picture of you crossing a deputy and sent it out via email to everyone you know. I’m blond, so sometimes my hair looks see-though, right? I’m not balding yet, am I?

DWI Dismissal Could Lead To Removal Of Ignition Interlock Device

Jamie Spencer
July 24, 2009 03:54

Proving that the Wichita Falls Times Record News Online is just a little behind what most people would consider news, a few days ago they ran a story titled “First Offense May Require DWI Device”: Repeat drinking and driving offenders in Texas know the hassle that comes with the...