Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Talks About Hate Crimes

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Hate crimes are criminal acts that arise from the perpetrator’s prejudice or hatred towards a particular group of people. Sometimes, hatred towards a specific race or religion is what causes a perpetrator to act. At other times, the motivating factor could be gender identity, sexual orientation, or even disability. In 2001, the Governor of Texas signed the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act (The Byrd Act) into law. The Byrd Act defines a hate crime as a crime that is explicitly motivated by the victim’s race, religion, gender, color, disability, sexual preference, national origin, or age. Other states have hate crime laws, and their definition of what constitutes a hate crime varies, so the definition of hate crimes is not uniform among the states. There are also federal hate crime laws.

The states are also not in agreement as to whether to treat hate crimes differently than other crimes, because there is always some underlying offense, whether it is an assault, murder, kidnapping, vandalism, or some other crime, that is recognized as an offense under the law. Some lawmakers are hesitant to support enhanced penalties for hate crimes because they feel as though doing so punishes specific thoughts in addition to the actions that arise from those thoughts. Other lawmakers feel as though discerning an individual’s intent is not something that can be accomplished with a legally acceptable degree of certainty, so they, too, are hesitant to endorse laws that impose additional penalties for hate crimes beyond what the law provides for each particular type of offense. Other factors in the hate crime law debate include the effects on crime victims and communities of classifying some acts as hate crimes and not others, and whether punishments for hate crimes are imposed equally on all offenders or whether offenders who target certain groups are punished more severely than those who focus on other categories of victims.

Hate crime law is a murky area of criminal law, and defendants accused of hate crimes need a reliable, experienced criminal defense attorney in their corner. Defense strategies for individuals charged with hate crimes vary with individual circumstances, but because of the nature of hate crimes, an effective defense may incorporate strategies that address political or media bias in relation to a particular case in addition to the defense strategies that are available based upon the type of offense that the defendant is accused of. Hate crime defendants require defense that goes above, and beyond the defense that would typically be needed for the crime they are charged with and seasoned Texas criminal defense attorneys can provide that type of support to their clients.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Strong Support for Texas Defendants

When you are charged with a hate crime, your rights are at stake, and your safety may be at risk. Due to the divisive nature of hate crimes, individuals accused of committing hate crimes are often the target of incendiary violence before they even have a chance to defend themselves against the charges. Protect yourself and your loved ones, your present freedom, and your future well being by working with a Texas criminal defense attorney on your hate crime case. Call Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or fill out a contact form on our website

Texas Family Law Attorney Shares Three Wise Money Moves for Your Texas Divorce

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Family law attorneys aren’t financial advisors, but they have certainly seen their fair share of information about the financial lives of their divorcing clients. Divorce often takes a financial toll on both of the divorcing spouses. However, you can make choices that could ensure that your divorce does the least possible amount of damage to your finances.

Sometimes, spending money wisely now can help you enjoy greater financial security later. That is one of the reasons why it’s essential to work through your Texas divorce with a Texas family law attorney. It is also the reason why many divorcing individuals would be wise to work with a financial planner during their divorce. Many of the decisions that you’ll be making in your divorce affect your current financial situation as well as your financial future. With the aid of your attorney and your financial planner, you’ll be able to consider all of the angles and learn how each decision you face with will impact you financially. Your financial planner can help you create a strategy for protecting your finances throughout your divorce, and they can also help you make a financial plan that will keep you on track towards accomplishing your financial goals as you move forward.

A second decision that you can make during your divorce that will serve you well financially is to avoid cashing in your investments to pay your bills. Those investment accounts seem like a handy solution to the presently pressing piles of bills on the kitchen counter, but it’s crucial that you maintain a long-term focus while you navigate the short-term financial shortfall that happens in almost every divorce. Cashing in investments usually involves penalties or taxes, and it also takes you off of the path that you had been moving along towards your financial goals. Your financial advisor may be able to help you think creatively and find ways to meet your current financial needs without sacrificing your financial future.

A third wise financial decision that you can make in your divorce is to consider the costs associated with pursuing any assets that you are trying to acquire as part of the divorce settlement. The biggest mistake many divorcing individuals make is fighting hard to get the house as part of their divorce settlement, only to find out rather quickly that they cannot afford to own it, or that it’s worth less than what they owe on it. Home ownership can be expensive when you consider all of the home-related expenses you’ll need to pay for in addition to your mortgage. The same principle applies to vehicles, and to other assets that are part of the property division portion of your divorce. It’s essential to think carefully about how each the assets you wish to pursue right now will work for you or against you once your divorce is final and you are on your own in paying for them and maintaining them.

A Texas family law attorney is an indispensable ally during your Texas divorce. Your attorney can help you understand the choices you face in your divorce, and they can offer valuable guidance that can help you make wise decisions now that you’ll be grateful for in the future. Call Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra today, at (903) 753-7499 to schedule an initial consultation. You can also plan your meeting online by using our online contact form.