Houston Criminal Law Journal by Texas Lawyers covering DWI Drunk Driving Arrests, Criminal Defense Charges, Drug Possession, and Assault

I have always had a mobile phone since I became a criminal defense attorney  in Houston over ten years ago.  I do not know how anyone practices law without one in day and age.  I know several lawyers that practice with me in Houston that refuse to use a cellular phone for work.  Others, still rely on a pager for the courts and clients to get a hold of them when they are out of the office.   Today, as fate would have it, my blackberry phone was inoperable so I got a taste of what it would be like to practice law without a phone.  It was frustrating to be inaccessible to everyone that needs to get a hold of me for work purposes namely my office, the court or my clients.  Additionally, it was difficult to properly calendar my court resets.  I guess it was my fate after my semi critical blog the other day about the medical profession's unwillingness to provide their patients with a proper means of getting a hold of them.  Perhaps, it was Karma getting back at me since I am going to the U2 concert tonight and I was critical of their decision to have Blackberry to sponsor this tour.

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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 Criminal 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 a Houston 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.

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Since I have not worked much in Judge Herb Ritchie (337Th District Court) or David Mendoza (178Th District Court) I have not written much about their courts.  The one thing that both of them have done is taken the lawyers out of their courtrooms except for pleas.  I have not asked them why they have done this, but I suspect it is due to the graphic facts that we sometimes have to discuss in court.  For those of us that have been doing criminal defens in Houston work for a long time we find it easy discussing these facts, and the discussions while professional can be graphic and offensive to the casual observer seated in the audience.  For now, cases will be discussed in the jury room in Judge Richie's court and in the vestibule in Judge Mendoza's court.

If you need assistance with a criminal case in Houston, Harris County, Texas please contact our law firm at (713) 225-1038 or visit our website at www.mmalaw.com.  You will find our fees to be affordable.

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I would to thank my business partner, Mario Madrid, my staff, my peers, and all those that I associate with at the Houston Criminal Courthouse, on making 2008 a successful year for Madrid, Martinez and Associates.  I am even more grateful this year to see our business grow when many others have failed.  Wishing everyone a prosperous 2009!

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As a criminal defense attorney in Houston, I am amazed how much information I can gather on a potential witness via the Internet.  Their facebook account reveals a lot about them.  They make comments regarding all sorts of subjects.  Sometimes they even post stupid comments regarding the case that they are the alleged victim and/or witness.  Nevertheless, facebook is a double-edged sword.  My clients have been burned with what they have written in their facebook and the pictures that they have posted.  That is why I tell all my clients now to "clean up" or delete their facebook accounts before a prosecutor uses it against them at a punishment hearing or at trial.  For example, a probation officer may see that you posted that picture of you and your buddies drinking at a party that you tagged and pass it along to the judge.  This could be grounds for your probation to be revoked.

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The Harris County Courthouse seems to be running at full speed now.  As of this week the courts are treating all criminal cases like normal.  The first week after Ike most courts allowed attorneys to get a reset for their clients without question.  Things have changed this week.  The courts are now asking for documentation and/or simply refusing to grant a second reset for a criminal case.  Most importantly, they are forfeiting bonds for those that are unable to attend their court settings.  The long lines outside the courthouse are back, and so is the wait to get an elevator.

Lastly, jury duty has resumed this week.  In fact, my business partner, Mario Madrid, a Criminal Defense Attorney in Houston, is picking a jury this morning.  I wonder if people are ready to serve as jurors during the post Ike and financial crisis time.  Hopefully, they can concentrate on their task if they are chosen as a juror.

If you need assistance with your criminal case in Houston, Harris County, Texas please contact our law firm at (713) 225-1038 or visit our website at www.mmalaw.com.

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