The Houston Police Department, Houston Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni
Association, Fiesta Mart Inc. and the Pepsi Bottling Group will once
again join together and sponsor the annual Comida/Food Drive. The
Houston Police Foundation will collect all online donations for the 5th
year. This is the 31st year of this annual event, which serves to
provide food to needy families during the Christmas Holidays. Last year
the Comida/Food Drive provided food to over 3,500 families in the
Houston area. This year’s goal is to meet or exceed last year’s effort.
Peapod makes it easy to shop and save! Check out weekly sale items, use ExpressShop to easily find your groceries, and create a personal shopping list to easily re-order on staples for your home!
Don't be your Own Worst Enemy!
I cringe to think how many times
clients come into my office to discuss their criminal matter with me
only to learn they have done possibly irreparable damage to their case. I
have found few people who are aware of their constitutional rights.
Your awareness of some simple concepts may serve you well in the event
you or a loved one is the unfortunate subject of a criminal
investigation. First of all, always remember, you are not required to
talk to the police. There may be occasions where your persuasive oral
skills will serve to get you a stern warning instead of a costly ticket;
however, talking with the police will rarely benefit you when the
investigation is for a crime.
In addition, talking to friends
and family about your criminal matter is usually not a good idea either.
Although you do not expect a friend or family member to compromise your
case, you may put him or her in an unfair position. A prosecutor may
summon your family member or friend to the witness stand in a criminal
trial and ask questions about your statements. Such a dilemma will force
your family member or friend to decide between perjury and possibly
hurting your case.
Don't get caught up by the fact that the
police officer failed to inform you of your "Miranda Rights." These are
your rights to remain silent and to have an attorney present during
questioning. So long as you are not under "arrest" the police officer
may properly ask you questions without informing you of these rights.
You are never required to consent to a search. If a police officer has a
search warrant, you must permit the search. However, if a search
warrant has not yet been obtained, you should insist the officer obtain
one before you voluntarily allow a search. The fact that you insist upon
a search warrant does not mean you have something to hide. Rather, it
is a confirmation of the constitutional concept that police do not have
the right to arbitrarily conduct searches of your property.
A
police officer has no right to detain you unless there exists reasonable
suspicion that you committed a crime or traffic violation. However, a
police officer is always allowed to initiate a voluntary conversation
with you.
Sometimes it is unclear whether or not a person is
detained. If you are in doubt, you should ask the police officer if you
are in fact free to leave.
If you are arrested, Arizona law
mandates that you will be brought before a judge within twenty-four
hours. This is an important hearing for you. The judge will decide what
conditions, if any, must be met before you can be released from jail.
You have a right to retain an attorney for this hearing to argue for
your release.
Regarding the crime of driving under the influence
of alcohol, the best advice is to have a designated driver. However, if
you are the subject of a DUI investigation, you must be especially
careful and thoughtful about what you say and do. In Arizona, a
conviction for DUI guarantees a jail term.
Arizona law does not
require you to submit to roadside field sobriety tests. Although these
tests may assist you to convince an officer you are not intoxicated, as a
general rule, refusing to take the tests is the better choice. Keep in
mind, it is the police officer who subjectively decides whether you
passed or failed the tests.
Deciding whether to submit to a blood,
breath or urine test is a different matter altogether. If you refuse one
of these tests, you will likely lose your driver's license for one
year. You should consult an attorney before deciding to refuse or submit
to one of these tests.
DUI is a complex area of the criminal
law. However, like other criminal charges, the decisions you make during
your initial contact with a police officer can be the difference
between conviction and acquittal.