Archive for March, 2015

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Talks about the Importance of Compliance with Sex Offender Rules

Monday, March 30th, 2015

If you are required to register as a sex offender, you are aware that there are certain things that are required of you. Your compliance with those requirements is your key to avoiding future charges and penalties. Some of the things that are required of registered sex offenders include supplying local law enforcement with identifying information, recent photographs, fingerprints, a description of the offense, information about the victim, information about whether you have been paroled, discharged, or in some sort of probation or supervision program, information about professional licenses, and information about attending college or working at a college. This information must be kept up to date, so it is important that offenders know how to keep their registrations current and how to change things, like their address, as needed.

A recent effort was made by law enforcement officers in Henderson County to check up on one hundred and forty six of the one hundred and sixty seven sex offenders who are registered in the unincorporated areas of the county. At first glance, those numbers may appear to indicate that not all of the offenders who are registered there were investigated. However, the discrepancy in numbers comes from offenders who are registered at two different addresses, as well as offenders who are incarcerated.

Unannounced compliance checks like the recent effort in Henderson County are to be expected, because of the compliance requirements of Texas sex offender laws. Fortunately, at least in the context of this recent compliance check, it appears as though offenders are taking their compliance requirements seriously. Out of the one hundred and forty six individuals who were investigated, eight possible violations were noted and only one arrest was made. The individual who was arrested was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and charged with a state jail felony.

The penalties which may be given to offenders for violations of their duty to register are severe. Depending upon the nature of the violation, offenders may be charged with a state jail felony, a first degree felony, or something in between. If you are charged with a violation of your duty to register, either during a state or county-wide sex offender compliance check or at some other time, you deserve the best chance at defeating the charges that have been brought against you. Contact a Texas Criminal Defense Attorney right away, so that your liberty can be preserved, and so that we can begin pursuing justice for you right away.

A skilled Texas Criminal Defense Attorney can help you to achieve the best possible outcome in your Texas criminal law matter. Sometimes, convictions can be avoided, or penalties can be reduced or eliminated. Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra has successfully represented his Texas clients in many different types of cases, and it is possible that he can help you, too. To find out how, please visit our website or call our office today, at (903) 753-7499.

 

 

 

 

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Texas DUI Defense Attorney Offers Advice for Drivers Facing Their First DUI

Friday, March 13th, 2015

DUI defense is something that most people do not think about until they have already been charged with a DUI. Since any driver is at risk of being charged with a DUI any time they drive anywhere and whether or not they have been drinking, it is a good idea to know in advance what to do if you are charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

The first thing that drivers should know is that if they are charged with driving under the influence, they should get help from a DUI defense attorney right away. Criminal charges like a DUI can have far-reaching effects on your day to day life for an extended period of time, even if you are not convicted. Your DUI defense attorney will help you understand the charges that have been brought against you. Perhaps even more importantly, they can explain the defenses that they may be able to use to get the charges dismissed or the penalties reduced. For example, your attorney may be able to speak with the prosecutor to pursue the offer of a plea bargain, or some other alternative to a trial. Once your attorney has an idea of which strategies they may be able to implement in your case, they can help you understand your options so that you can make an informed choice about what will work best for you.

First-time DUI defendants may wonder whether they must spend time and effort looking for a DUI defense attorney, or whether any criminal law attorney could help them just as well. Criminal defense attorneys certainly do their best to obtain the best possible results for their clients, but they do not all have experience with DUI cases. DUI defendants need their attorneys to understand all of the laws and all of the defenses that may be relevant to their cases.

Defendants should also know the difference between a public defender and private counsel. A public defender is an attorney who is paid by the state to provide legal assistance to defendants who cannot afford private attorneys. When a defendant has private counsel, it means that they are represented by an attorney that they selected and that they are paying for themselves. Unfortunately, public defenders have less control over their case load than private counsel do, and many have hundreds of clients. Because of this, they often have very little time to devote to each case.

Whether you are now facing your first DUI or a subsequent offense, you can give yourself the most successful defense by enlisting the aid of a Texas DUI defense attorney. Your attorney may be able to reduce or eliminate the consequences associated with the charges that you are facing. To learn how Texas DUI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra can help you, please call our office today, at (903) 753-7499. You may also reach us by submitting a convenient contact form on our website.

 

 

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Texas Family Law Attorney Explains Collaborative Divorce

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015

If you are contemplating a divorce, you may be learning what seems like a new language. As you educate yourself about divorce and gather information that will help you in making a decision about whether to file for divorce, you will encounter new concepts and add terms to your working vocabulary that you just didn’t know much about before divorce was on your mind. One concept that is certainly worth becoming familiar with is the concept of mediation.

In mediation, attorneys help their clients to come up with a divorce agreement that works well for both parties. This runs contrary to what some people think divorce is all about. Some of the more highly publicized divorce cases are high conflict situations which end up being resolved through litigation. In reality, litigated divorces represent only a small portion of all divorce cases. Many divorces are settled through agreement, and the mediation process is a way through which this can be accomplished.

Mediation can address whichever issues are part of a couple’s divorce, including property division, parental responsibilities, parenting time, child support, spousal support, and anything else that must be resolved. Couples who resolve their divorces through mediation often report that they believe that they experienced less stress than they would have if they had resolved them through litigation. They also report a high level of satisfaction with the outcomes of their divorces. This may be because they were able to divide their assets in a way that worked for them, instead of having to abide by an order that was issued by a court that knew very little about them.

When a couple has children, there is an even greater incentive to use mediation to resolve their divorce. When divorce follows an adversarial path, one party’s gain is the other’s loss. Parents fight with each other to get more parenting time, sole parental responsibilities, or greater awards of child support, often losing sight of the best interest of the children along the way. Mediation offers parents an opportunity to structure their parenting schedules and divide parental responsibilities in a way that meets their family’s needs, instead of having a judge impose schedules and responsibilities for them.

Mediation is a great way to reduce the stress and conflict of your Texas divorce case while increasing the odds that both you and your soon to be former spouse will walk away from your marriage satisfied with the outcome. Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra can help you to pursue the resolution of your divorce case in a way that meets your needs. If you decide to try mediation for your divorce and it does not appear as though you and your soon to be former spouse will be able to reach an agreement, I have the skills and experience required to present a convincing case in court. If you have a question about mediation or any other aspect of your Texas divorce, please call Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499.

If you are contemplating a divorce, you may be learning what seems like a new language. As you educate yourself about divorce and gather information that will help you in making a decision about whether to file for divorce, you will encounter new concepts and add terms to your working vocabulary that you just didn’t know much about before divorce was on your mind. One concept that is certainly worth becoming familiar with is the concept of mediation.

In mediation, attorneys help their clients to come up with a divorce agreement that works well for both parties. This runs contrary to what some people think divorce is all about. Some of the more highly publicized divorce cases are high conflict situations which end up being resolved through litigation. In reality, litigated divorces represent only a small portion of all divorce cases. Many divorces are settled through agreement, and the mediation process is a way through which this can be accomplished.

Mediation can address whichever issues are part of a couple’s divorce, including property division, parental responsibilities, parenting time, child support, spousal support, and anything else that must be resolved. Couples who resolve their divorces through mediation often report that they believe that they experienced less stress than they would have if they had resolved them through litigation. They also report a high level of satisfaction with the outcomes of their divorces. This may be because they were able to divide their assets in a way that worked for them, instead of having to abide by an order that was issued by a court that knew very little about them.

When a couple has children, there is an even greater incentive to use mediation to resolve their divorce. When divorce follows an adversarial path, one party’s gain is the other’s loss. Parents fight with each other to get more parenting time, sole parental responsibilities, or greater awards of child support, often losing sight of the best interest of the children along the way. Mediation offers parents an opportunity to structure their parenting schedules and divide parental responsibilities in a way that meets their family’s needs, instead of having a judge impose schedules and responsibilities for them.

Mediation is a great way to reduce the stress and conflict of your Texas divorce case while increasing the odds that both you and your soon to be former spouse will walk away from your marriage satisfied with the outcome. Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra can help you to pursue the resolution of your divorce case in a way that meets your needs. If you decide to try mediation for your divorce and it does not appear as though you and your soon to be former spouse will be able to reach an agreement, I have the skills and experience required to present a convincing case in court. If you have a question about mediation or any other aspect of your Texas divorce, please call Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499.

 

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