Does the Fact I’ve Never Been In Trouble Before Mean Anything?

October 26, 2010

By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

texasdefensefirm.com

One of the most common questions that I am asked is whether the countless years or decades of a clean-record counts for anything at trial.  The good news is that it does but theres lots to consider.

Texas rule of evidence 404 is a rule which discusses when character evidence is relevant, what limitations are on the types of character evidence may be admitted, and when character evidence may be appropriate.

Generally evidence of “a persons” character is not admissible at all to prove conformity therewith on a particular occasion.  The exceptions, though, tend to swallow the rule.

Tex.R.Evid. 401(a)(1)(A) allows the defense to proffer character evidence of the accused in a criminal case.  The same rule allows the prosecution to attack that character evidence if the defense “opens the door” by injecting character as an issue.

Remember — there are two possible phases to a criminal trial.  Guilt/Innocence and punishment.  Character evidence is wide-open in the punishment part of a trial.  I’m really focusing this article on the trickier part — guilt/innocence.

From a trial lawyers standpoint — proving up good character in the guilt innocence phase is always trickier than it may seem.  Remember that courts only allow evidence through the formal rules which means that good character will almost always have to be proven through a live witness of some sort.  That witness will be subjected to cross-examination… and depending on the facts, your trial attorney will have to do a cost-benefit analysis of whether it is worthwhile to prove-up character in light of the potential cost.

Let’s take a DWI case for example.  Let’s say that a person who was out that evening with the accused would testify that the defendant always calls a taxi if they thought they had too much to drink.  But let’s also say that person drank so much on the night in question himself that he doesn’t remember how much the accused had to drink.  That witness may add value to the case through his positive testimony about the defendant’s traits — but could ultimately hurt the case over-all in light of what he would reveal on cross-examination.

These are they types of decisions experienced criminal defense lawyers, dwi lawyers and dui lawyers must make on a routine basis.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice.  For legal advice you should directly consult an attorney about any legal issue.

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Posted by Jeremy Rosenthal, Esq.

Did I Pass the Field Sobriety Test?

August 1, 2010

By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

texasdefensefirm.com

When people are visiting with me about their recent DWI arrest in I’m often asked what constitutes passing or failing the standardized field sobriety tests.

I start by telling them that at least according to the grader– they probably failed — but the officer’s opinion ultimately isn’t what counts. It’s the jury’s opinion that matters and if the tests aren’t done to standard (and they often aren’t), then the jury may give the officer’s tests and opinions very little weight.

The truth is that there are three tests that are typically utilized by police and they are highly subjective in how they are graded. Not only that, but they must be given in the manner prescribed by the officer’s training or the results can be compromised. So when the officer says you failed — I tend not to worry.

In fact, the police officer’s own training manual has very strong language about how critical it is to do the test correctly. The Manual issued by the National Highway Training Safety Association (“NHTSA”) says in uppercase, bold letters:

IT IS NECESSARY TO EMPHASIZE THIS VALIDATION APPLIES
ONLY WHEN:

THE TESTS ARE ADMINISTERED IN THE PRESCRIBED,
STANDARDIZED MANNER;

THE STANDARDIZED CLUES ARE USED TO ASSESS THE
SUSPECT’S PERFORMANCE;

THE STANDARDIZED CRITERIA ARE EMPLOYED TO
INTERPRET THAT PERFORMANCE.

IF ANY ONE OF THE STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TEST
ELEMENTS IS CHANGED, THE VALIDITY IS COMPROMISED.

While I won’t go into the details of each test just this moment; the horizontal gaze nystagmus (the eye test), the walk-and-turn (the walking the line test) and the one-leg-stand must each be done in the prescribed and standardized manner. If they’re not done that way then the jury can give the tests far less weight at trial — regardless of how the police office thought you did.

So whether you passed or failed ultimately not be the right question to ask. How the tests are done is critical too.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice you should consult an attorney directly.

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Posted by Jeremy Rosenthal, Esq.

Texas DWI Laws for Beginners

July 1, 2010

By Collin County Criminal Defense Attorney Jeremy Rosenthal

texasdefensefirm.com

(972) 369-0577

For Starters:

Everyone is presumed innocent and the police and prosecution must prove the case beyond all reasonable doubt… and that goes for DWI’s and DUI’s too.  Accused people are acquitted of DWI in Courthouses all over Texas every day.  Just because the Police believe something does not make it so.

The nuts and bolts:

Texas DWI law can be extremely complicated but we’ll start with the basics.  For more advanced discussions, you can read here, here, and here.

Tex.Pen.C. 49.04(a) makes driving while intoxicated illegal.  That provision says, “A person commits an offense if the person is intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle in a public place.”

Tex.Pen.C. 49.01 (A) and (B) define “intoxication” as… “not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body; or  having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.”

A first time driving while intoxicated charge is a class b misdemeanor with a minimum of 72 hours of jail and a maximum of 180 days; and/or a fine not to exceed $2,000.

Punishment

You can read more about DWI punishment in Texas here.  A big point with DWI’s is that there is no deferred adjudication in a DWI case, meaning that in any case where the charges are pursued — it will result either in an acquittal or a final conviction.  There is no middle ground.

Also, the legislature has made it a class a misdemeanor even for a 1st time offense if the blood alcohol level is tested at or over 0.15.

Driver’s License Suspension

Under the Texas Transportation Code, your Texas driver’s license can be suspended for up to 180 days for refusing a breath test or 90 days for taking and failing the breath test.  The police won’t tell you this — but the suspension is not automatic.  You have typically 15-days to appeal the suspension.  Even if your license is suspended, you may be eligible for an occupational driver’s license which would allow you to drive for various reasons including work and household purposes.

Surcharges

If you are convicted of a DWI in Texas, you will be required to pay money for three years after your conviction to maintain your driver’s license.  For a first DWI the surcharge is $1,000 per year; for a second DWI the surcharge is $1,500 per year, and if your breath test result is greater than 0.16 or greater, the surcharge is $2,000.

My Aggressive Stance

There is generally little, if any, reason to not be aggressive in attacking these cases.  The Texas Legislature is continually making laws on DWI and DUI harder and harder and harder.  For that reason it is often the case that we don’t have anything to lose by taking a stand and fighting these charges.

When choosing a lawyer for defense of a drunk driving charge, be sure to ask how often that lawyer takes cases to trial and what they do to prepare.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice.  For legal advice about any specific situation you should consult an attorney.

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Posted by Jeremy Rosenthal, Esq.

Texas Criminal Punishment Levels

June 25, 2010

By Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

(972) 369-0577

texasdefensefirm.com

Offense Levels in Texas (updated as of January, 2018):

Class C Misdemeanors:  Punishable by a fine not to exceed $500:

  • Traffic offenses
  • Assault by contact
  • Drug paraphernalia
  • Disorderly conduct (other than firearm related)
  • Theft under $100 (unless theft committed by check)
  • Insufficient funds
  • Minor in possession (MIP)
  • Minor in Consumption

Class B Misdemeanors: Fine not to exceed $2,000 and not more than 180 days confinement in county jail:

  • DWI (72 hours minimum jail; 6 days minimum with open container)
  • Possession of Marijuana (less than 2 oz.)
  • Theft over $100 but less than $750
  • Theft by check (over $20 but less than $500)
  • Criminal mischief over $100 but less than $750 (vandalism)
  • Violation of a protective order
  • Indecent exposure
  • Racing on a public road
  • Prostitution
  • Disorderly Conduct with Firearms (display or discharge)

Class A Misdemeanors:  Fine not to exceed $4,000 and not more than 180 days confinement in county jail:

  • DWI (2nd offense) (minimum 72-hours jail)
  • DWI over 0.15 BAC
  • Possession of marijuana (between 2 oz. and 4 oz.)
  • Possession of dangerous drugs (usually the possession of legal drugs without a valid prescription)
  • Assault causing bodily injury
  • Theft between $750 and $2,500 (whether by check or otherwise)
  • Criminal mischief over $750 but less than $2,500
  • Evading on foot

State Jail Felonies:  Fine not to exceed $10,000 and confinement in state jail institution for no less than 180 days and no more than 2 years.

  • Possession of controlled substance less than 1 gram (typically methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin)
  • Credit card abuse (using another person’s credit card without authorization)
  • Third theft conviction of any amount
  • Theft between $2,500 and $30,000
  • Forgery
  • DWI with a minor under the age of 15 in the vehicle
  • Evading with a vehicle
  • Car Theft (Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle)

Third Degree Felonies:  Fine not to exceed $10,000 and confinement in Texas Department of Corrections for no less than 2 years and no more than 10 years.

  • Possession of controlled substance between 1 and 4 grams;
  • Aggravated assault
  • Assault causing bodily injury (enhanced from prior finding of family violence)
  • Burglary of a building
  • Theft between $30,000 and $150,000
  • DWI (3rd offense)
  • Indecency with a child (by exposure)
  • Solicitation of a minor

Second Degree Felonies: Fine not to exceed $10,000 and confinement in Texas Department of Corrections for no less than 2 years and no more than 20 years:

  • Possession of a controlled substance over 4 grams but less than 200 grams
  • Burglary of a habitation
  • Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
  • Theft between $150,000 and $300,000
  • Indecency with a child (by contact)
  • Injury to a child
  • Sexual Assault of a Child (Under 17 but not 14)
  • Sexual Assault
  • Attempted murder
  • Intoxicated manslaughter

First Degree Felony:  Fine not to exceed $10,000 and confinement in Texas Department of Corrections for no less than 5 years and no more than 99 years.

  • Murder
  • Possession of a controlled substance over 200 grams
  • Possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 200 grams with intent to distribute
  • Arson
  • Theft over $300,000
  • Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
  • Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child under 6 (25 – Life w/o Parole)
  • Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child or Young Children (25 – Life w/o Parole)

It should be understood that though many of these offenses carry mandatory minimum jail sentences, virtually every offense other than Murder has provisions whereby sentence may be probated or suspended for community supervision (probation).

Other points:

There are some offenses referred to as “hybrid” offenses which mean they can straddle boundaries of punishment — but for the most part the levels remain fairly consistent.  Some offenses like Driving While Intoxicated raise the minimum punishment level but are still considered to be in that general category.

Also many offenses are subject to what are known as enhancements.  Enhancements are other surrounding factors that can enhance — or increase the base punishment level for certain offenses.  The enhancement can be for something surrounding the transaction (like possession of drugs in a drug free zone), or as is often the case because of prior criminal history.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice.  For legal advice about any specific issue you should consult an attorney directly.

3 Comments | Appeals, Assault, Computer Crimes, crimes against children, criminal mischief, Deadly Conduct, Divorce related crimes, DWI, Emergency Protective Orders, Homicide, Indecent Exposure, Murder, sex cases, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jeremy Rosenthal, Esq.

Intoxication for PI is Higher than Intoxication for DWI

April 24, 2010

By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal

texasdefensefirm.com

(972) 369-0577

For the state to convict you of public intoxication, or PI for short, they must prove your level of intoxication is even higher than it would be for a DWI.

Here’s why:  Texas Penal Code 49.01(2) defines intoxicated (in relevant part) as, “not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body…”

The above definition of 49.01(2) is the definition used for Driving While Intoxicated in 49.04.

Here’s the difference, though — PI is governed by 49.02 and that code specifically says, “a person commits an offense if the person appears in a pubic place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.”

In other words, not only does the person have to be intoxicated (defined by 49.01(2)), but they ALSO must be so to the degree they may “endanger the person or another.”

A simple way of putting it is that to be convicted of DWI, a person must have consumed alcohol to the extent they are dangerous behind the wheel of the car — to get a PI, they must be dangerous merely by being in public.  Obviously it makes sense that there is a stricter standard for operating a motor vehicle.

Public Intoxication cases are class c misdemeanors — meaning they’re lower offenses than DWI.  PI arrests are highly subjective and frankly often done for crowd control reasons or even in cases where the passenger in a car is highly intoxicated (and the driver is getting hooked-up for DWI).  Many officers know that their arrests may very well not end up in convictions, but they feel they are necessary anyway and are supported by the lower burdens of probable cause.

*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice.  For legal advice, you should directly consult an attorney.

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Posted by Jeremy Rosenthal, Esq.

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