Pain Pills Can Cause More Pain Than Relief

As we all know, Michael Jackson passed away Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. Questions have arisen regarding the cause of his death and what if any role prescription drugs, notably painkillers, may have played in the singer's demise. Apparently Mr. Jackson had a personal doctor, a cardiologist who has an office in Houston, who was present at the time of death. According to news reports the doctor is not a suspect but the police do want to speak with him regarding the details leading up to Jackson's death. The doctor has hired a Houston Criminal Lawyer to represent him.

The abuse of drugs like Lorcet, Soma and Xanax is more common than most people are aware. As a Houston Drug Defense Lawyer  I have seen how the abuse of prescription drugs can destroy lives. While drugs like Cocaine and Heroine are horrible and deadly, prescription drugs have the same potential to ruin lives. Elvis Presley and possibly  Michael Jackson are just the iconic examples.

I have seen as aHouston Criminal Defense Attorney that the drug addict is typically the person losing their freedom and creating havoc in their families lives while drug dealers profit at their expense. It doesn't matter if the drug dealer is peddling crack cocaine on a street corner or is a doctor operating a pain clinic handing out  prescriptions without even seeing their "patient." Actually, it is much more rare for a doctor operating a pain clinic to be a arrested than your traditional drug dealer. It goes to show you that as a society we don't view prescription drug addiction as a problem.

We see more and more of these cases on a weekly basis. The most obvious example is the abuse of Xanax by suburban high school kids. Hopefully the passing of Michael Jackson will make the families of pain pill users more aware that addiction and death can come just as easily from across the counter of a pharmacy as it can from a street corner on the bad side of town.

I Object!

Over the past week or so I have watched with interest the Iranian Election Results and the aftermath. Many people in Iran and around the world believe that at a minimum there was irregularity in the voting results. Most of these people actually believe the election was outright rigged. As a kid, I remember the American Hostages being held in Tehran when Jimmy Carter was president. I also remember the Shah of Iran coming to San Antonio after he had been overthrown by the revolution, to get medical treatment at Wilford Hall Medical Center that was about a mile from my house. I took a Middle East History class in college so the subject has always fascinated me.

Last week, while in Dallas I had a conversation regarding this subject with a cab driver from Iran while on the way to the airport. I posed to him the question whether it was possible that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had actually won. Isn't it possible that leaders like Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela have the support of masses? Isn't it possible that just because we don't agree with the policies of our adversaries that the people of those countries do? The cab driver didn't seem to think so. He believes that the election was stolen and that Mousavi is the true winner. He's probably right but I doubt that will change anything. In countries ruled by oppressive regimes, there are no recounts.

What is happening in Iran is in such stark contrast to our way of life here in the United States. Think back to the 2000 election and the hanging chads in Florida. When all the votes across the United States were counted Al Gore had more of the popular vote. Would Florida and its electoral college go to George W. Bush or Gore? The Supreme Court decided that the victory was W's. The American public accepted it and moved on. No one was beaten down in the street and killed. The rule of law prevailed.

We go to court everyday and are faced with an adversary.  As a Houston Criminal Defense Attorney, I represent the accused. When we have a disagreement with an Assistant District Attorney we are not dragged out into the street and beaten. When I don't agree with the evidence being presented,  I stand up and object. If I don't agree with a ruling from the Judge, I respectfully disagree and make sure that my objection and the legal basis for it are preserved on the record. As a Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer, I am proud to have an opportunity everyday to practice law and ensure that my clients rights are protected. I am not the kind of person that wears an American flag shirt, but I am extremely proud to be an American. Situations like the one in Iran are a vivid reminder of this.

MMALAW Is Not Associated With Mixed Martial Arts

MMALAW=Houston Criminal Attorney not Mixed Martial Arts.Recently, I reviewed the results of the search terms regarding our website www.mmalaw.com and noticed that a lot of clicks to our website were made when someone was looking for the rules and regulations concerning mixed martial arts.  I guess that the logical reason for that is that "mmalaw" sounds like it would deal with the laws regarding that sport.  I would imagine that the people clicking on our website will be disappointed to find out that I am a Houston Criminal Attorney and a Houston DWI Lawyer and not an authority on mixed martial arts. 

A Houston Pretrial Diversion Is Not Exclusive To DWI Cases

A lot of discussion has occurred amond Houston DWI lawyers the last of couple of weeks concerning the DWI Pretrial Diversion Program around the Harris County Courthouse.  Luckily, this has also opened the door for other types of cases to be more easily considered for pretrial diversion.  I have personally encountered prosecutors being receptive to a pretrial diversion for theft, possession of marijuana, and possession of cocaine cases.  In the past, a request for a pretrial diversion was akin to asking for a prosecutor's first born in Harris County, Texas.   For the sake of anyone accused of a crime I hope this trend continues.  Most criminal lawyers know that a theft or shoplifting case is one of the very few misdemeanor crimes that are considered to be "crimes of moral turpitude."  Thus, it is imperative that you hire a Houston theft Lawyer.

 

If you have any questions regarding your shoplifting case do not hesitate to contact me at (713) 242-1779.

 

 

 

Driving A Bulldozer While Intoxicated?

He might think this guy is a redneck...Are you kidding me?  As a Houston DWI Attorney I get to defend a lot of interesting cases, but I must admit that I have not come across one quite as unique as driving a bulldozer while intoxicated.  Somewhere Jeff Foxworthy is having a good laugh about this one.  If you would like to know more about DWI laws please click here.  For a free consultation contact the Houston DWI lawyer at (713) 242-1779.

 

DWI...How Many Questions Should A Judge Ask?

Now that the Harris County District Attorney's Office is going forward with the pretrial diversion program  for DWI cases should judges inquire if each defendant that is entering a plea of guilty before them has been made aware of this opportunity?  A judge's role is to protect everyone's rights.  Therefore, if the judge has an inkling that the person before them may qualify for a pretrial diversion for their DWI case and has not been informed of this possibility by their attorney for whatever reason the judge should caution the person about the consequences.

I realize that there a lot of variables in each case, and the plea admonishments discuss essential rights, but this new program changes the playing field for all DWI attorneys in Houston.

If you have any questions regarding a DWI in Texas please contact a Houston DWI Lawyer at (713) 242-1779.

The New DWI Program Likely To Increase DWI Arrests In Houston

As a Houston DWI Attorney I have mentioned previously how the upcoming DWI Pretrial Diversion program proposed by the Harris County District Attorney's Office is going to benefit a great number of people.  Despite all the benefits there are sure to be some negatives associated with the program.    For instance, once the word gets out about the program DWI arrests will increase in the greater Houston area.  Police agencies will arrest more people because they will know that the prosecutor will readily offer a Pretrial Diversion.  Also, it has been a long held belief within the DWI task forces that the accused may "beat the rap, but will not "beat the ride."  In other words, a person accused of a DWI will have to bear the expense of hiring a DWI attorney in order to properly defend a DWI case.  Moreover, prosecutors will become less inclined to dismiss a DWI charge because they are going to push the pretrial diversion alternative. 

If you have any questions regarding a DWI in Texas please contact a Houston DWI Lawyer at (713) 242-1779.

DWI Pretrial Diversion Plan Not Ready Yet

This past Monday was one of the most chaotic days for Harris County Misdemeanor Prosecutors because every criminal attorney in Houston, like myself, wanted to know the facts surrounding Pretrial Diversions for first time DWI offenders in Harris County, Texas.  Unbelievably, the prosecutors had as much information as I did.  They did not know the guidelines, when it was going to be implemented, or who would qualify.  One thing is for sure, Kate Dolan, the chief of the misdemeanor section, is going to be a busy lady.

If you have any questions regarding a DWI in Texas please contact a Houston DWI Lawyer at (713) 242-1779.

DWI Checkpoints Not Headed To Texas

The regular session of the 81st  Texas Legislature ended this week and I will be providing a more complete list of criminal laws that passed, but I wanted to mention one that was previously discussed on this blog.  Luckily, for the citizens of Texas this legislature did not pass the bill allowing DWI checkpoints in Texas. If you have questions regarding a DWI please contact our law firm at (713) 242-1779.