Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Discusses Crimes Committed With Imitation Weapons

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There is an interesting bit of misinformation that has been making the rounds, and it has resulted in an unusual crime trend. The Texas police report that the number of offenses committed by people carrying imitation weapons is on the rise. One possible reason for the trend makes perfect sense – imitation weapons like bb guns are inexpensive, easy to obtain without any background check, and effective because they are realistic looking enough to intimidate people. There is also another reason that people choose to use imitation weapons to commit crimes. Some people believe that if a weapon used in the commission of a crime is not real, the person who used the weapon during the crime will not be punished as harshly as they would had they been holding or using an actual gun.  That is simply not true, and, as you might imagine, some unsuspecting folks have gotten some rather unpleasant surprises after they committed crimes using imitation weapons.

In Texas, if a person uses an imitation gun while committing a crime and the victim of the crime believes it to be real, the individual who committed the crime can be charged with a first-degree felony. The maximum sentence that could follow a conviction on a charge like that is incarceration for life. Many different types of crimes have been committed by individuals armed with fake guns. From armed robbers to gang members disturbing the peace, the use of imitation weapons appears to have broad appeal.

The severity of the charges that can follow a crime committed with an imitation weapon are just one type of unpleasant surprise that a criminal can encounter when using a fake gun. Many Texans are licensed to carry firearms, and if someone who has a real gun by their side believes that they are about to be shot, or someone else is in danger of being shot, you can pretty much guess what happens next. The same goes for police officers – if an individual is brandishing a gun, an officer does not have any meaningful opportunity to examine it to determine whether it is real before they act to protect their life and the lives of others around them. Many imitation weapons are nearly impossible to distinguish from their authentic counterparts at any distance, and it is even harder to see what a gun looks like when the person holding it is concealed, in a dark area, moving, or waving the gun around.

Some states have banned the sale of realistic imitation weapons, and while Texas may eventually join in the effort, there is no such law here right now In the areas that do have those restrictions, imitation guns must have distinguishing characteristics, such as brightly colored stripes down the barrel.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Protecting the Rights of all Texans

Whether the gun crime that you are facing charges for involved a real or an imitation weapon, a conviction could have many effects on your life. An experienced Texas criminal defense attorney can help you understand the possible consequences of a conviction, as well as possible strategies for avoiding conviction. If you would like to learn more about how Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra could help you, call our office today, at (903) 753-7499.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Offers Holiday Weekend Tips for Avoiding DWI and BWI

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Summer is almost officially here, and if you are like many Texans, you are looking forward to enjoying some fun times with friends and family this Memorial Day Weekend. No matter what type of excitement you have planned, you can take some steps to ensure that you and the people that you will be spending time with this weekend stay safe and avoid DWI and BWI charges.

One important thing that all people would be wise to remember is that Memorial Day weekend is a no-refusal weekend in many parts of the state. This weekend, law enforcement officers will take to the streets in large numbers in search of impaired drivers from approximately six in the evening on Friday until early Tuesday morning. If you are driving a vehicle and you get stopped by an officer who suspects that you are driving while intoxicated, you may choose whether to submit to roadside breath testing. If you refuse to participate in the breath test, the officer can then get a search warrant that enables them to take a blood sample over your objection.

The roads are not the only place where no refusal weekends are in effect. The Texas Department of Public Safety is well aware that many accidents that cause injuries and death occur on or near motorized watercraft during the summer months. It is also common knowledge that many of those injuries and deaths involve boaters who are intoxicated. For these reasons, patrols will be located on and near some of the popular spots for water recreation throughout the state this weekend. Game wardens also use holiday weekends to look for boating safety issues, so be sure to avoid attracting unnecessary attention to your watercraft by operating it in a safe and responsible manner.

Planning ahead for a safe ride home after a party or another event is a great way to avoid getting a DWI during the upcoming holiday weekend. If the party is at your place, there are additional things that you can do to help your guests make responsible choices and avoid drinking and driving. Encouraging guests to select a designated driver is a tried and true strategy for making sure that everyone gets home safely. Some people don’t drink alcohol, but they still enjoy going to parties, so finding a designated driver is not always as hard as one might think it would be. Paying for taxi fares is another alternative. Having plenty of delicious food, nonalcoholic beverages, and fresh, cold water available can help your guests balance out their alcohol intake. The aforementioned tried and true strategies for preventing drunk driving work, and there are some suggestions are even more fun and creative, such as offering tents, bedding, and other amenities to guests who are interested in camping overnight instead of driving home after the party. Checking in with guests as they are leaving and helping them to find an alternative way home if they seem intoxicated is a thoughtful gesture that will help your guests stay safe and avoid the financial and other life altering impacts of a DWI conviction.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Experienced Support for DWI Defendants

If you are facing DWI charges, experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra may be able to help you resolve your DWI case. To learn more, call (903) 753-7499.

Texas Family Law Attorney Discusses the Role of Financial Professionals in Divorce Cases

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Have you ever thought about just how complicated personal finances can be? Since personal finances can be complicated, it makes sense that when two people marry, their financial picture becomes even more complex. Each spouse still has his or her personal finances and personal financial history, and then there are the couple’s joint or household finances. When one or both spouses own businesses and other diverse types of assets, either together separately, there is a chance that the couple’s financial situation is highly complex.

When a couple has a complicated financial situation, both spouses stand to benefit from bringing a financial planner and an accountant into the mix of people that they consult with during their divorce case. In the past, few couples used the services of financial professionals during their divorce cases because many of their financial situations involved relatively simple questions of how to divide income, debts, and tangible assets like the family home and the spouses’ cars. In today’s society, things are more complicated. More families have two working spouses, and many more people own businesses. The rising cost of college has made college savings plans a popular class of assets, and there are more ways for people to invest money than ever before. These are just some of the reasons why more and more couples are consulting with financial professionals in addition to consulting with attorneys during their Texas divorce cases.

Since financial professionals understand how the various assets that a couple has work, they can help the spouses come up with ideas about how they could divide them equitably. They also know how to accurately assess the values of various types of assets, which is essential to being able to distribute them equitably. Sometimes it makes sense to split an asset in two. At other times, it is best for one spouse to take an asset and the other to take another asset of comparable value. Some assets require specific procedures to be followed to successfully split or transfer them. Financial professionals know all of the ins and outs of transferring, splitting, and otherwise dealing with financial assets, and they can advise spouses on what their bigger financial picture would look like, such as tax consequences, if they divide their assets in certain ways. All of this information can help spouses work through the question of how to divide their assets equitably.

Financial professionals can also help divorcing spouses make the transition from their joint financial lives to their single financial lives. They do this by helping them develop budgets to address their current day to day financial needs and financial plans that meet their future financial needs.

In some cases, financial experts may be able to offer valuable assistance if it appears as though one spouse has been hiding money. They can often review personal and business books and records and find out where the money is.

Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra – A Strong Advocate in Your Texas Divorce

If you are divorcing in Texas, you could benefit from the assistance of an experienced family law attorney. You may even benefit from enlisting the aid of one or more financial professionals. To learn more about your Texas divorce, call Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499.