A Corpus Christi municipal court judge decided Wednesday the public intoxication case against a former state district judge should move forward.
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A Corpus Christi municipal court judge decided Wednesday the public intoxication case against a former state district judge should move forward.
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On Thursday, attorneys for Williams and a city prosecutor filed an agreed motion to dismiss the case. It would leave open the possibility the case could be refiled.
If you’re facing criminal charges, getting them dismissed or cleared in a trial is your main priority. The best way to improve your chances of a favorable outcome is to have a criminal defense attorney on your side. There are a lot of things that can help or even hurt your case — from your initial interaction with the police to the day that the jury issues a verdict. But not all criminal defense lawyers are the same. So, you need to find one who is qualified to handle your case. Taking the time to find the best criminal defense lawyer will make sure that you’re being represented in the best possible manner when your case goes to trial. While it may seem like a daunting task (especially if you’re facing the possibility of a criminal charge), it’s one of the most important steps in the entire process.
Finding the right criminal defense lawyer can be a big decision, but you need to find the right one if you want the best chance of getting your charges cleared. Here are some things that you should look for in a criminal defense lawyer:
Being faced with criminal charges isn’t something that you should take lightly. You need to find the best person to help you, because it will increase your chances of getting a favorable outcome. You need to take the time to find a lawyer who is qualified and is able to work with you, so you need to research your options. That way, you can find a lawyer that’s right for you.
If you’ve been having a hard time finding the right criminal defense lawyer in Corpus Christi, you should consider working with Gale Law Group. Our staff has years of combined experience, and we’ll make sure that we build the best possible strategy for your case. We can work in many areas of criminal law — from DWI charges to violent crimes. So regardless of your circumstances, we have the qualifications to handle your case.
Check out our criminal defense page for more.
If you want to work with one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the Coastal Bend, get in touch with us today!
Local attorney Chris Gale has represented a number of clients who have had complaints against law enforcement agencies.
Two recently filed federal lawsuits allege that Corpus Christi police violated the civil rights of two city residents by using excessive force, KRIS 6 has reported. One person died after an incident with police while the other was severely injured.
Just last month, at least two federal lawsuits were filed against the City of Corpus Christi over alleged misbehavior by police officers.
Having a criminal record can hinder your ability to find work, apply for an apartment or home, and even to get a professional license. There are some cases in Texas Law that allow you to make a request for an expungement or sealing of your criminal history, so it won’t be visible to the general public in most circumstances. In Texas, an expungement (which can also be referred to as an “expunction”) and a record sealing have two different processes. Once both are applied, most potential employers who do background checks won’t be able to access this information. And in many cases, you won’t be obligated to disclose this information.
You might be able to expunge your criminal record if you were arrested for a misdemeanor or felony and if any of the following apply:
If you were arrested and was never charged for a crime, Texas Law requires you to wait for a certain period of time before you can apply for an expungement. The length of this period will depend on the seriousness of the crime. Here are the waiting periods for each of the qualified cases:
If you’re a close relative of a deceased person with a criminal record that can qualify for an expungement, you can have it done on this person’s behalf. The law defines this person as any of the following:
Be sure to speak to a qualified attorney for more information.
You can expunge any arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction, as well as any Class C Misdemeanors that received a deferred adjudication and has completed a community supervision. If you were found guilty, pleaded guilty, or entered a “no contest” to any offense that hasn’t been classified as a Class C Misdemeanor, it’s not eligible for an expungement. You can, however, apply for a non-disclosure if you were granted a deferred adjudication.
You might be able to expunge any juvenile offenses if they were misdemeanors that resulted in a fine and were committed before you were seventeen, were listed under the Alcoholic Beverage Code, or fell under the “Failure to Attend School” section of the Texas Education Code. You may not be eligible if you had multiple juvenile offenses or had an insufficient age during the time of your arrest. If you have convictions that aren’t eligible for an expungement, you might be able to apply for an Order of Non-Disclosure in certain circumstances. It doesn’t eliminate your criminal record, but it does keep it away from the public eye.
The following charges aren’t eligible for an expungement or a non-disclosure:
If you want more information about whether you qualify for an expungement, contact the Gale Law Group today!
Check out our criminal defense page for more.
A panel of judges that upheld reprimands against former Judge Guy Williams found his behavior both on and off the bench “cast public discredit on the judiciary.”
Williams on March 18 went before a special court of review to appeal two reprimands. In them, Williams stood accused of groping three women, including a sitting judge, making disparaging comments about Nueces County prosecutors and mishandling a family law case.
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Former judge Guy Williams spent nearly a decade on the bench in Nueces County but on Wednesday he found himself in court again with a half dozen police officers and firefighters ready to testify at his trial.
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Nueces County has an overdose death rate of 10.4 for every 10,000 people, which makes it one of the highest in Texas. Heroin and other opioids are becoming the primary drug being treated in Corpus Christi rehab centers. Fentanyl (which is a synthetic opioid) is becoming the most dangerous drug in the United States, and the Corpus Christi Police Department as well as local medical personnel get hundreds or overdose calls a year. While the opioid crisis has gained national attention, Corpus Christi has felt its effects as well.
Most people who become victims of opioid addiction either have had problems with their past or are having trouble dealing with the stresses of daily life. Drugs seem to be the only way to escape, and some of them started using when they were as young as ten years old. Some have had parents or loved ones who did drugs, and they turned to what they knew. People who have been abused as children can also be susceptible, because they see it as a way to cope.
Studies have shown that people who had a member of their immediate family do drugs are 50% more likely to become addicted themselves. But to many of them, it didn’t happen immediately. Marijuana is often considered to be the “gateway drug,” which has been the case for many people. It led them to do harder drugs, which is how they would manage to meet heroin — a drug that would numb the pain in a way that nothing else ever could.
Drug use often coincides with other mental illnesses (such as depression and anxiety), because it would give people a way to numb out the negative feelings that can seem overwhelming. They may have suffered abuse or some other childhood trauma, and they turn to drugs because the emotional pain is too much for them to bear.
The true severity of the opioid crisis in Corpus Christi is unknown because before a problem can be fixed, it first has to be identified. No one knows the real number of overdoses in the city, so they use the state database to report the number of overdose deaths. The Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation gives people overdose prevention kits in an effort to save someone who is going through opioid addiction, and some believe that the system being used by the county to classify overdose deaths needs to change.
A drug counselor for South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services says that Corpus Christi has a huge heroin problem, and it has been rising among young people who get hooked on benzos. The executive director of the Palmer Drug Abuse Program believes that there are approximately 1,000 overdose deaths in Corpus Christi every single year, and the CEO of Driscoll Children’s Hospital said that the system doesn’t do enough to identify what is considered to be a “public health problem.” If you’re not able to identify the issue, you won’t be able to fix it. And there isn’t enough data to determine the true magnitude of the opioid epidemic in Corpus Christi.
While heroin can have a devastating effect on someone’s life, it can influence society as a whole — especially when law enforcement is concerned. According to the head of CCPD’s narcotics and vice division, heroin is “one of the most prevalent drugs in Corpus Christi.” That’s why all CCPD officers have started to carry Narcan in case they run into an overdose situation. Law enforcement officers are also trying to slow down the heroin trade in the city, with 13 different agencies (including the Drug Enforcement Administration) working together to crack down on heroin dealers. With this coordinated effort, local authorities are hoping to make a proverbial dent in the city’s drug trade.
The problem, however, is that only 7% of people who need to be treated for addiction will get it. The typical waiting list for Charlie’s Place is about 20 days for people who want to participate in the program, which gives them plenty of time to change their minds. Drug addicts can be highly unpredictable. One day, they may want to get help because of a rock-bottom situation. The next day, they’re back on the streets doing what they have always done.
Nueces County has been seeking litigation against several pharmaceutical companies, because they believe that they have been putting pressure on local doctors to prescribe medications that are extremely addictive. Our city has the highest number of opioid-related deaths in the State of Texas. If you or a loved one has been a victim of this epidemic, Gale Law Group has a team of lawyers who would be happy to discuss your case.
To find out how you can get justice for an opioid-related death, get in touch with us today!
Check out our criminal defense page for more.