Dallas Criminal Defense Law Blog

A Dallas man who unwittingly left his cellphone on a gas pump is facing serious legal trouble. The 32-year old man must confront federal child pornography possession charges after his cellphone was found by a woman at the Shell station on Interstate 35E on New Year's Day. Approximately an hour after the woman found the cellphone, it rang and the accused man offered her $250 to return it.

The phone contained a pass code, preventing the woman from accessing the phone. After the man contacted her, he gave the woman the code so she could call him to set up a meeting to return it. Suspicious about the reward offer, the woman looked through the phone contents and discovered explicit images. She then turned the phone over to Lancaster police, who called federal authorities.

A missing family from Fannin County, approximately 60 miles northwest of Dallas, is presumed dead, and one of their relatives has been accused of their murder. The 52-year-old man was arrested in Louisiana after Texas Rangers and Fannin County deputies obtained a search warrant. Authorities seized the man's truck and trailer, suspecting that the bodies of the missing family members were located inside. They have not released information about what was found in either.

Neighbors said the family's daughter had moved into the ranch home to take care of her elderly parents a few years ago. Although only limited information about the victims was released, local news reports said the father is a diabetic and double amputee. How the accused is related to the alleged victims has not as yet been disclosed by authorities.

Sex crimes are never a frivolous matter. Trials for these crimes are a difficult experience for everyone involved, especially when the accused knows he or she is innocent. This is what happened to a Dallas man accused of rape committed against multiple young women and girls nearly two decades ago. It wasn't until recently that the man was cleared of committing these crimes with DNA evidence.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the "North Dallas Rapist," as he was dubbed, committed several sexual offenses. The wrongly convicted man was thought to be responsible for these crimes, so he was apprehended, convicted and imprisoned until his exoneration in 2010.

The story of a man dressed as Santa Claus who killed himself after shooting six of his family members in a Dallas home made headlines across the nation. This story has caused some to wonder if the winter holiday season has some sort of negative impact on peoples' emotions, causing them to commit violent acts.

It is certainly no secret that the holidays can be stressful for some people. Maybe it involves spending time with your less-than-favorite in-laws or hosting a large party. Despite the stress that can come with the winter holidays, it turns out that there are actually fewer acts of domestic violence committed in December than in most other months of the year, according to the Department of Justice.