Monday, May 31, 2010

Collin County's Deferred Prosecution Program

A couple of years ago, the Collin County District Attorney's office decided to institute a deferred prosecution program for young people (17 to 21 years old) accused of minor offenses. The D.A.'s office sends out letters inviting people to contact the probation department for the program if they think you're eligible.

If you can qualify and successfully complete the program -- then it's possible you can qualify for an expunctionwithout having to risk going to a trial. In theory, it's a great concept and a win-win deal.

In practice it isn't quite that simple. There are some pitfalls to watch for.

Here's Why You Should Contact a Criminal Defense Lawyer Before You Agree to Apply:

1. You have to Confess to Be Eligible. The entire theory behind the Deferred Prosecution Program is getting "help" for the "youthful offender." My only guess is that this somehow helps with accepting responsibility as part of "treatment." By confessing to whatever crime you're accused of committing, you've often sealed the DA's office legal case against you should you not be accepted into the program or the program not work out. This brings me to my next point.

2. The Program is Hard to Complete. The program administrators are under extremely strict marching orders to report and toss anyone out of the program for the slightest infractions. They define a violation as anything they interpret in their sole discretion as being an infraction. This means that even you dispute whether you've violated a rule -- you're still gone without a chance to complain to anyone. They can and do throw out participants on a frequent basis. They've got your confession now to use against you in formal prosecution. This seems inconsistent with "helping youthful offenders" but this is they way they've chosen to run their program.

3. The Waivers and Terms are Extremely One-Sided. The prosecutors and probation officers don't know anything about the case -- except that you're guilty of whatever the police said you did. They view this program as purely charity towards you. Therefore, they are justified in having every term extremely slanted in their favor (see above -- that a violation is determined in their sole discretion -- and that's just one example). You also waive more complicated things such as the statute of limitations which could push-off or even possibly nullify your ability to get an expunction (although they dispute this).

4. The DA's Office is Legally Your Opponent. Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.09(c) states, a prosecutor in a criminal case shall "not initiate or encourage efforts to obtain from an unrepresented accused a waiver of important pre-trial, trial or post-trial rights."

5. A Criminal Defense Lawyer is Your Advocate and Voice. Collin County's Deferred Prosecution Program makes me as nervous as a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I'm not suggesting it can't be a great way to clean a criminal record while minimizing risk -- but I am suggesting you know what you're getting into first.

A criminal defense lawyer can point out one or ten possible defenses that it's not the DA's office or the probation office's job to point out. Also, a criminal defense lawyer experienced with how the program is administered can advise you in advance as to whether entering into the program -- and all it entails -- is truly what is in the best interest of the accused. The prosecution only thinks they know how to do this better.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice, you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Sunday, May 30, 2010

"No Refusal Weekend" for DWIs in Dallas and Plano

Cities around North Central Texas are publicizing their "no refusal" policies this weekend for DWI enforcement in an effort to ramp up law enforcement and discourage impaired driving. Some have issued press releases to the media such as this one. They're beginning to have these weekends routinely on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor day.

Although the press release doesn't spell it out, what they are trying to communicate is that if you refuse to submit to the breath test, they'll simply go to a magistrate that is on standby to get a warrant signed. That warrant will enable them to draw your blood, hence the "no refusal."

In Texas, the police must be extremely careful not to coerce a person to voluntarily give a breath specimen. When a person is formally offered a breath test, they are done so through a documents called dic-23, 24, and 25. Those documents lay out all the dangers and disadvantages of submitting to a breath test.

An officer cannot coerce or intimidate a person into submitting to a breath test in Texas. If an officer alters, amends, adds, or subtracts warnings (generally be editorializing his opinion in some way) about the warnings or what the resulting action may be -- then they flirt with having the breath test thrown out under a line of cases called the Erdman doctrine. The vast majority of officers will read the dic warnings in a scripted fashion because they don't want the results of the test thrown out.

The press release definitely walks a tight rope. They're trying to curb drunk driving this weekend (which everyone agrees is a good thing). But, by over-publicizing the "no refusal weekend," it is quite possible that people arrested for DWI submit to the breath test because they fear the police punish a refusal by jamming a needle into their arms. It is interesting, then, that the press release omits any references to warrants, and merely insinuates that medical personnel will just happen to be around.

Maybe they're afraid some lawyer might try and put the press release into evidence during a trial down line to show the police are just trying to intimidate everyone into submitting to a breath test?

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice, you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Friday, May 28, 2010

Deferred Prosecution for Minors

In Texas juveniles (under the age of 17) that are alleged to have committed crimes can be considered for what is known as "Deferred Prosecution" under Texas Family Code 53.03.

Deferred prosecution means that the juvenile completes an informal probation with the county and if that probation is successfully completed, then the charges are dismissed and not formally prosecuted. If the juvenile cannot successfully complete the deferred prosecution, then they can be formally prosecuted.

Deferred prosecution for juveniles is better than deferred adjudication is for adults in adult proceedings. In the adult world, the accused pleads guilty to the underlying charges but forever waives their ability to contest the original charges. Also, in the adult-system, the accused must gain the consent of the prosecutor to get deferred adjudication -- not so in the Juvenile Court. In Juvenile Court, the juvenile has an absolute right to request deferred prosecution directly from the judge AND the juvenile retains the ability to fight the charges later should they be placed on probation... and probation not work out.

Deferred prosecution for juveniles in Texas is almost always a win-win. The prosecution gets to make sure the juvenile has some sort of semi-formal probation... the juvenile gets a clean record -- and just as importantly the juvenile gets to retain his or her important legal rights to fight the case later if necessary.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advise. For specific legal advice, you should directly consult an attorney about your specific situation.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Arrest of Child Under 17 Years Old in Texas

Juvenile arrests in Texas (children younger than 17 years of age) are different from adult arrests.

Texas Family Code Chapters 53.02 and 54.01 govern the proceedings after a juvenile is arrested. Whereas an adult has a right to see a magistrate within 24-48 hours after arrest (depending on the level of offense), a juvenile has no such right.

Under 53.02, the judge or "other authorized officer" makes an immediate determination as to weather the child should be detained under factors which include whether or not the juvenile is likely to abscond, the degree of parental supervision at home, whether a firearm was involved, and the likelihood of re-offending if released. For specifics, read the code.

If it is determined that the child should be detained under 53.02, then not after the second working day after the arrest, the juvenile is entitled to a "Detention hearing" under 54.01. At that hearing, it is determined whether the juvenile should be detained for an additional 10 working-days based on the same general criterion as discussed in 53.02. After another 10 days, the juvenile is entitled to another hearing.

This process can be confounding to parents who are dealing with the trauma of having a child arrested. The police and the state can seem sympathetic, but unfortunately they often bring their institutional mind-frame to dealing with you and your child.

Getting your child released back to you can be a difficult and delicate process under the rules discussed above. You should seek attorney representation as soon as possible to maximize the chances of getting your child out of the machine that is the juvenile process.

After the release, there are generally charges which must be answered in court. Obviously an experienced lawyer helps there too.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

(214) 724-7065 (24-hour number)

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the state of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice, you should consult an attorney directly.

Self Defense in Family Assault Cases

Self defense is a common affirmative defense in family violence/ domestic assault cases.

The defense is governed by Texas Penal Code Section 9.31. That provision says (in relevant part), "a person is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force."

Self defense is an affirmative defense which means it needs to be raised by the accused (and not merely dis-proven by the prosecution as part of their case-in-chief). Once the defense is properly raised in trial by the defendant, then the judge can instruct the jury that unless the prosecution dis-proves defendant's self-defense theory beyond all reasonable doubt -- the defendant is entitled to acquittal.

Self defense is raised in many assault cases involving family members -- usually spouses. The law makes no distinction as between male and female and either party may be entitled to rely on the self-defense defense depending on the facts.

Though case law isn't 100% -- a criminal defendant (in all likelihood) will have to take the witness stand and admit to the underlying assault in order to rely on the self-defense statute. Courts generally feel it is inconsistent for an accused to claim (1) it never happened; and (2) if it did happen -- It was self defense.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice, you should consult an attorney directly.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

What Does a Jury Do?

Lawyers take for granted that everyone understands a trial from television -- but not even television makes the distinctions very clear. And there's no such thing as a stupid question. Usually.

A jury determines what are known as "questions of fact." a judge determines "questions of law." The difference can be complicated but here's a common example that demonstrates the difference.

Take an assault/ family violence case where self-defense was an issue: the judge would determine whether the evidence of self defense was admissible and whether it rises to the level which would allow him or her to give the jury an instruction on self defense. The judge makes no decision on whether the evidence is believable or not... just that it is sufficient for a jury to consider the defense without completely guessing.

The jury would determine whether the evidence of self defense is believable and whether the state has dis-proven the theory of self defense beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jurors are the exclusive judges of the credibility of witness and decide whether the prosecution has met their burden. The jury obviously doesn't rule on objections (because again, it's the judge that decides the law).

A person's right to a jury trial is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution in both civil and criminal cases and is a cornerstone of our legal system.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice, you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountyattorney.com

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

How Long After an Arrest Do I Need a Lawyer?

When is it time to get a lawyer?

That's an excellent question. There are two main reasons to hire a lawyer immediately after an arrest. The first is to advise you during a police investigation and the second is to assist you in securing a release from jail.

Legal Advice During a Police Investigation

Arrests happen different ways -- from a traffic stop, an arrest warrant, or at the scene of an incident or altercation just to name a few.

Police Investigations Prior to Arrest

Often the police will investigate a crime prior to applying for an arrest warrant. In doing their investigation, they may call the accused and request they participate in voluntary interviews, searches, or even biological testing. It is always a good idea to have a lawyer involved if this is the case. Experienced counsel can property help you navigate the investigation and it is very dangerous to try and do so alone.

Police Investigations After an Arrest

In Dallas and Collin County state criminal cases, the vast majority of police work and investigation is done at the scene of the arrest. In most DWI stops and/or drug arrests the police do most of their work on the road-side. There is brief follow-up at the police station (a breath test and/or an interview), but once the person is booked-in to jail, any investigation is usually over.

For the timing reasons alone, it is extremely difficult to involve an attorney quickly enough to provide much useful counsel in these situations. Usually an experienced criminal defense attorney, if involved quickly enough, will generally advise someone arrested not to participate in any interviews or voluntary searches.

Assisting in Jail Release

Attorneys can help people get released on most DWI's, thefts, and marijuana cases from the Plano City Jail or the Frisco City Jail in Collin County. Generally, though, an attorney may be of limited value in securing release from jail. Once a person is arrested then they are entitled to see a magistrate judge who sets the bond (if the bond isn't pre-set from an arrest warrant). At that point the bond can be paid for the person to be released. Often a bail bond company is consulted where the amount of the bond is too expensive for the friends or family members of the accused to pay. Some attorneys are bail bondsman but most are not. Always make sure you understand whether your are dealing with an attorney, a bondsman, or both and make sure they explain to you everything involved and everything they are responsible for. The accused can hire an attorney to assist in getting the bond amount reduced as well.

Once the case proceeds after the arrest stage an formal charges are filed, it is always a good idea to have your attorney represent you in the future court proceedings.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

(214) 724-7065 (24 hour number).

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice about your own matter you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com


Thursday, May 13, 2010

How Drug Charges Get Enhanced in Texas

Police and prosecutors have many tools at their disposal to try and enhance drug cases to higher punishments. Because many off them still believe the only way to fight the war on drugs is to load our jails and prisons with everyday people -- they can and do get very creative with how they attempt to maximize charges.

Drug Free Zones

Drug charges can be increased if the offense is alleged to have occurred in a "drug free zone." Drug free zones can be very complicated under the Health and Safety Code 481.134(a). They obviously includes schools, but also includes playgrounds where there are three or more apparati. Also included are facilities such as private day-care centers and even places such as public gyms that supervise children for an hour or so while their parents exercise! There are other technical issues such as the degree of public access which make these issues very legally intensive.

Police can and do go to great measures to show that a drug offense was committed in a "drug free zone" even where the zone may be coincidental to the case. Again, the code is complicated and merely because the police think it qualifies as a drug free zone doesn't make it so.

Intent to Distribute

Although the statutory language differs with regards to the quantities and the substances involved, generally speaking, charges can be increased where a person, "knowingly manufactures, delivers, or possesses with intent to deliver" the contraband in question. [See e.g. Health and Safety Code 481.112(a) dealing with penalty group 1.]

Police and prosecutors typically try to demonstrate this through surrounding circumstances such as quantity of the drugs found, whether there is paraphernalia which would suggest sales such as plastic baggies, scales, excessive cash, etc. Obviously, sometimes police will attempt to observe actual drug transactions as well.

In summation, aggressive law enforcement and prosecutors can and do find many ways to try and increase punishment ranges for criminal drug cases. Often times they over-reach, and this is where an experienced criminal drug defense lawyer can be of great assistance.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. For legal advice you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Legal Definition of Drug Possession

Drug crimes in Texas operate very similarly to one another regardless of the substance alleged to be possessed. While the specific substance and the quantity dictate the level of offense, the law of "possession" in Texas is consistent.

Many people feel as though because they were in a situation where drugs were present that they are guilty of an offense. Not so in Texas.

"Possession" is defined by Texas Penal Code 1.07(a)(39) as "actual care, custody, control or management."

The operative word (in my opinion) is "actual." This means the prosecution must prove the drugs were in your possession -- i.e. that the defendant ACTUALLY exercised some degree of of care, custody, control or management -- of whatever contraband they have alleged the accused possessed.

If you think about how the police tend to encounter drugs -- then you begin to get an idea of the struggles at trial of how the prosecutor attempts to persuade a jury that the accused actually possessed drugs (and the task of the defense lawyer to defend against the allegations). Some arrests are done when the drugs are found somewhere in a car. Some arrests are the result of drugs found under a search warrant, and some arrests come from pat-downs of someone's person. In many instances, it's not clear who possessed or controlled the drugs.

Generally, the prosecution must show some affirmative link between the accused and the contraband. This means they present circumstantial evidence of possession -- for example if drugs are found in a car -- who is the car's owner? Who was driving? Who could have put the drugs where they were found?

Case law is very particular about "affirmative links" and where no legal affirmative links exist -- a defendant may legally be entitled to acquittal as the State's evidence of "possession" may be insufficient.

Defending drug possession cases is a very technical and detail oriented task for experienced criminal defense attorneys.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Do I need an Attorney for Drug Charges in Texas?

Yes. The law of drug possession and/or distribution is a highly complex area. The law surrounding possession, search and seizure, or what it means to have intent to distribute are just some some of the highly technical issues encountered in Texas drug cases.

Law enforcement is typically not interested in your side of the story -- and that is where effective advocacy plays a role as well. Just because the prosecutor and the police believe there is only their side to the story doesn't make it so. It is the Judge and Jury that often decide.

Even in situations where someone may have a substance abuse problem -- Texas has long had the mentality that harsh punishment and cruelty will cure substance abuse. While many prosecutors and judges are now getting the message -- that these problems don't solve themselves -- stiff criminal penalties and criminal records can still haunt people for the rest of their lives.

If you're facing drug possession or distribution charges whether it be for Marijuana, cocaine, or any other type of drug, an attorney can help attain the best result possible in your case.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 369-0577

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Thursday, May 6, 2010

When a Texas Officer can Arrest for Assault

Generally speaking, an officer can make an arrest for offenses (against the peace) viewed in their presence or, of course, if they have an arrest warrant. Assault cases, however, typically aren't committed in an officer's presence... but they are governed by their own statute instead -- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 14.03.

As an example, here is a recent article on a situation where two brothers at a Plano home apparently got into some sort of scuffle and where one went to jail after the police were called.

14.03 specifically allows officers to make an arrest where they have probable cause to believe someone has committed family violence, violated a protective order, have prevented someone from placing a 911 call, assaulted a non-family member and there remains a risk of further violence towards the alleged victim, alleged sexual assaults and various other circumstances.

Basically, if the situation involves violence, the legislature has broadened the officer's ability to arrest.

It is possible some police agencies have actual policies about making arrests during these situations, but it is the rare exception that the law requires an arrest during an assaultive situation under 14.03. (The statute only uses the word "shall" in conjunction with an arrest for violations of protective orders -- meaning that is the only time the officer is actually legally required to make an arrest.

In the situation with the Plano teenagers, it obviously appears the officers had at least the legal authority to make the arrest. Whether the case is charged and prosecuted is another matter.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice you should consult an attorney directly.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Husband - Wife Privileges in Assault Cases

In domestic violence cases in Dallas and Collin Counties, the prosecution can and will force one spouse to testify against another -- often against their will. I am often asked in disbelief in assault cases "can they really do this?" Unfortunately the answer is, "yes."

Texas Rule of Evidence 504 governs the husband-wife privilege. Generally speaking, any communication made to one's spouse is privileged under that rule during and even after the marriage. Either spouse may assert the privilege whether they are a party to a case or not. Unfortunately, the husband-wife privilege is riddled with far more exceptions than other privileges (such as the attorney-client privilege).

Tex.R.Evid. 504(a)(4)(D) is just one of the specific exceptions to this rule of privilege. That rule states a spouse can be compelled to testify against their other spouse if that spouse is considered the victim of the crime or if any other member of the household or any minor child.

Additionally, it is important to note that in some cases, the testimony attempted to be compelled out of the "victim" spouse is not regarding communication but regarding conduct. Obviously the privilege in and of itself only applies to "communications" in the first place. The privilege, therefore, cannot be used to prevent disclosure of facts surrounding an incident where family violence has been alleged.

The state in assault cases must still prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt. Jurors are very sensitive to situations where it is clear one spouse does not want to testify against the other and don't always appreciate the police and/or the state being overly-invasive of a family... so even where a spouse is compelled to testify against their will -- the cases can and do frequently result in acquittals.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. For legal advice about any situation you should always directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

Mens Rea -- The Guilty Mind

Here is some legal theory or law school 101 if you will.

Something every first-year law student learns in criminal law is about the concept of "Mens Rea" which is latin for "guilty mind." When a guilty mind is combined with a "guilty act" (or actus reus), then under common law, a crime has been committed.

Most, but not all, crimes today have a mens rea requirement. For example, to prove the crime of theft the prosecution must show the guilty act of appropriation of property (actus reus) plus the intent of the taker to deprive the owner of the property without consent (mens rea). An example of a crime where there is no mens rea is strict liability crime -- like statutory rape or what is known as an inchoate crime which is a crime of omission -- like failure to stop and render aid. Inchoate crimes typically require a special relationship between the victim and the accused.

Modern criminal law has even varied the levels of mens rea. Crimes enacted by code in Texas and the U.S. Government can require greater or lesser mental states for offenses. Some offenses such as Arson are called specific intent crimes -- meaning that the actor had to specifically intend the result of the crime. Other crimes have lesser mental states meaning that if a person committed an offense "knowingly" or even less, with "criminal negligence" then they are guilty.

An example of a crime in Texas where criminal negligence is sufficient to convict is selling alcohol to a minor. In that type of a case, the actual intent of the defendant need not be proven as long as the jury believes the defendant acted with "criminal negligence."

The charging instrument (an information in a misdemeanor case or an indictment in a felony) will detail which of the mental states is being alleged. Any and every criminal defense lawyer should read the charging instrument in your criminal case. If the state proves the greater mental state then they have, as a matter of law, proved the lesser.

Discussing legal theory is like pulling the loose end of a sweater. We could discuss this topic all day and all night. If you're interested in more discussion, you can read more here or here.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy Rosenthal is an attorney licensed to practice in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice about your case you should consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com

The Attorney - Client Privilege

The attorney client privilege prevents an attorney from revealing confidential communications and other facts they have learned by reason of the attorney-client relationship.

For criminal cases in Texas, the attorney client privilege is controlled by Texas Rule of Evidence 503(b)(2) which is called the "special rule of privilege in criminal cases." That rule states, "in criminal cases, a client has a privilege to prevent the lawyer or lawyer's representative from disclosing any other fact which came to the knowledge of the lawyer or the lawyer's representative by reason of the attorney-client relationship."

A confidential communication is defined by the rules as a communication "... not intended to be disclosed to third persons..." I put the words in bold above to highlight the fact that the criminal privilege is even broader than the privilege in civil cases. This means that the lawyer cannot reveal any communication not intended to be disclosed to third persons nor any other fact which came to the knowledge of the lawyer by reason of the attorney client relationship.

Here's what this means in English for Texas criminal cases: virtually everything your lawyer knows about the case (assuming he learned it from you or by investigating your case) is privileged. The lawyer cannot be compelled by law enforcement or even a judge to disclose confidential information. If you take the Texas rule to it's logical extreme -- even the mere fact that you visited with an attorney could be considered privileged information! This goes for situations where you're actually charged with a crime or even just the subject of an investigation.

The attorney-client privilege is an extremely important and powerful privilege for the reason that without it -- an individual may never confide in their attorney critical information needed for their defense. People charged with crimes can and do still feel tepid at times revealing information to their attorney. Whether that be for lack of trust or for mere embarrassment -- the law does everything possible to facilitate communication between you and your attorney.

As with practically everything in the law -- there are exceptions. An attorney may not aid the furtherance of a crime or a fraud and communications regarding the same are not privileged. Also an attorney has an affirmative duty to report the abuse or neglect of a child or to report a situation where someone may be in immanent danger. As a general rule, if the facts or disclosure is about something that has happened in the past in a criminal case -- then it will almost always be privileged.

The attorney - client privilege is at the cornerstone of the lawyer - client relationship and is one of the fundamentals of our criminal justice system.

Jeremy F. Rosenthal, Esq.

(972) 562-7549

*Jeremy F. Rosenthal is an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For specific legal advice about your case you should directly consult an attorney.

www.thecollincountylawyer.com