The Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (EOCA) statute, as codified in Chapter 71 of the Texas Penal Code, was created as Texass version of the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. Tex. Pen. Code §71.02(a) says that [a] person commits an offense if, w...
On October 27, 2017, Paul Manafort and Richard Gates were indicted for various money laundering activities. This indictment gives insight into how sophisticated money laundering operations work. Investigators in these cases follow the money in an effort to dig up years of financial transaction...
One of the most common questions we receive when someone is arrested for DWI is whether a DWI will permanently remain on that persons criminal record. As is so often the situation with the law, the answer is maybe. First, you need to be aware of the difference between an expunction and a pe...
Houston area police officers and prosecutors have started aggressively pursuing Johns in an attempt to curb the demand for prostitution. This is being spearheaded by a new administration in the Harris County District Attorneys Office that is fueled by federal funding available to stop human...
The term money laundering often conjures up images of organized criminal organizations using sophisticated financial tools to make the proceeds of criminal activity appear to be legitimate. In Texas, however, money laundering can refer to a far wider range of activity. Texas Penal Code § 34.0...
On September 13, 2017, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed McClees amp; Guiney partner Kristin Guiney to the 232nd Judicial District Court. This move has been widely praised by the local criminal bar. Â Kristin is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She...
As Houstonians and people throughout Southeast Texas deal with the aftermath of hurricane Harvey, many people from across the region and nation want to donate to the relief effort to help those devastated by this horrific storm. Unfortunately, there are repugnant thieves will use fake charities t...
A new law changes the way a prior finding of family violence may affect child custody by creating a rebuttable presumption that it is not in the best interest of the child for a parent to have unsupervised visitation with a child if credible evidence is presented of a history or pattern of family...
In many situations the answer is yes. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable search and seizures, and generally requires that police obtain a search warrant before they search a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. There are, how...
Police officers will often confiscate the drivers license of a person who they arrest for DWI. Many people believe that this means that they can no longer drive. The good news is that if you act quickly, you may be able to save your drivers license. It is true that the Texas Department of P...
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