by georgeroland | Aug 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Failure to Identify is one of the more confusing misdemeanor offenses in the Texas Penal Code. If a cop approaches you and asks you to identify yourself, can you refuse to answer? What are the consequences of making up a fictitious name? What if there is a...
by georgeroland | Jul 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
On September 1, 2013, switchblades became legal to possess in Texas. House Bill 1862 repealed that provision of the Texas Penal Code that had previously made it unlawful to possess a switchblade knife, via a unanimous vote. Based in large part on a new...
by georgeroland | Jul 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
How James Dean and Broadway Frightened America ‘”Switchblade knife’ means any knife that has a blade that folds, closes, or retracts into the handle or sheath that opens automatically by pressure applied to a button or other device located on the handle or opens or...
by georgeroland | Jul 11, 2014 | Uncategorized
In 1996, Richard E. Nisbett and Dov Cohen published a short book, in which they attempted to explain why violent crime (specifically homicide) was more prevalent in the South than elsewhere in the United States. See Culture of Honor: the psychology of violence in the...
by georgeroland | Jul 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
Beginning around 1985, Texas lawmakers sought to address “computer crimes.” Today, Chapter 33 of the Texas Penal Code (aka, our laws) covers “Computer Crimes.” Early on, the principle evil of “computer crimes” was perceived as a threat to security—specifically, that...
by georgeroland | Jun 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
Suppose you live in an apartment, and you invite a friend over for dinner. Your friend arrives, and you begin eating. Moments later, there is a knock at your apartment door. It is the apartment manager, and the police. They tell you that your friend was issued a...
