I’ve dedicated my legal career to defending my clients. I demand all the evidence. I investigate all the facts, the so-called witnesses and even the police officers. I make it my business to know the law. Cases can be won or lost before you even set foot inside the courtroom.
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Posts by Mary Beth Harrell
When to Plea and When to Fight Your Charges
If you have been charged with a criminal offense in Killeen, Copperas Cove, or anywhere in Central Texas, you may immediately start weighing your options. Should you plead guilty? But you are innocent! Should you fight your charges? But then you might get jail time! There are pros and cons to each, but no matter…
Read MoreWhy Eyewitness Accounts Aren’t Trustworthy
If you were charged with a crime, prosecutors may want to bring in eyewitnesses to help convict you. Or maybe you want to bring an eyewitness onto the stand to help prove your innocence. It seems like a great tactic to use for either side. After all, the eyewitnesses are the people who actually saw…
Read MoreMy Teenager Got Arrested for DWI in Copperas Cove. What Now?
Getting charged with a DWI at any age can be overwhelming. But getting arrested for a DWI in Copperas Cove when you’re under the legal drinking limit can be devastating. Texas actually has a zero-tolerance policy for anyone under the age of 21 who commits any type of alcohol-related offense, which of course includes drinking…
Read MoreGrand Jury, Petit Jury, and Bench Trials: What’s the Difference?
Most people believe that when you get charged with a crime, you will typically have a trial and bring in a jury to determine whether you should be convicted or not. But what many people do not know is that you, as the defendant, actually have the choice of how you want your case to…
Read MoreShould I Talk to the Police If I Haven’t Been Arrested?
Maybe you made a mistake. Maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe you feel that you have absolutely nothing to hide. Whatever the reason, if you find yourself in the company of police – particularly police who want to ask you questions and have you answer those questions without…
Read MoreMy Ignition Interlock Device Broke. What Do I Do?
Here in Texas, we have pretty strict laws about drinking and driving. A conviction for driving while intoxicated (DWI) can result in jail time, fines, and an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in your vehicle. These devices, similar to breathalyzers, are installed and wired to your car and prevent it from starting if you have…
Read MoreWhen Is it Self-Defense and When Is it Aggravated Assault?
The general term “assault” comprises a variety of crimes under the Texas penal code, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. The Texas criminal justice system can be harsh and swift, and if you find yourself facing any type of assault charges, it’s important to get started on your defense as soon as possible. When you get…
Read MoreDefenses for Suspected Drugged Driving in Central Texas
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious crime that carries serious penalties, and with good reason. A driver who is intoxicated or high may drive recklessly or at the very least have delayed reaction times – either of which could result in an accident that injures or kills the driver…
Read MoreFor Professional Drivers, a DWI Can Cost Everything
It may begin with a traffic stop. Perhaps you run a light or fail to yield. Or maybe you encounter a sobriety checkpoint that you cannot avoid. Whatever the circumstances, if law enforcement pulls you over and suspects that you may be operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, you could face…
Read MoreIs It Still Assault If Someone Provokes You?
Many assaults happen because a defendant was provoked by the victim. As a general rule, provocation is not a defense to the crime of assault. If you’re provoked, Texas law generally requires that you walk away or contact the local police. Fighting or using force if provoked is typically not an appropriate response. However, there…
Read MoreHow Do You Prove Intent in “Burglary of Habitation”?
There are many different types of defenses when you’re charged with a crime in Central Texas. Our Killeen criminal defense lawyers assert your Constitutional defenses. We hold the government to its burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. One defense that we regularly examine is whether you violated the precise terms of the…
Read MoreWhy a Bar Fight Can Land You in Prison
It’s a common scene on television and in the movies. Two patrons get into a fight. In the old days of TV westerns, they might resolve their differences in a gunfight. Some shows and films would have a fight that escalated into involving everyone in the bar. A common scene shows one patron sliding completely…
Read MoreCan a Police Officer’s Bias Make Them More Likely to Charge You with a DWI?
Everyone has their biases; even police officers. In theory, the police should judge everyone the same – no matter what type of car they drive, where they drive, or who is in the car. In reality, if you’re driving a bright red fancy sports car in the fast lane, even if you’re going the speed…
Read MoreCan You Be Charged with Deadly Conduct if You Don’t Have a Gun?
Texas laws regarding guns can be difficult to understand. On one hand, the state allows people to carry handguns in public without a license to carry. On the other, if a person with no criminal history feels threatened and subsequently pulls their firearm from their holster, purse, or glove box, they could be facing a…
Read MoreWhat Are My Rights During a DWI Stop?
Inadvertently swerving into another lane, running through a red light, or momentarily driving over the speed limit are mistakes that many drivers make. However, that mistake can quickly become frustrating or even land you in handcuffs if you are stopped for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Texas, whether you’ve been drinking or not. When are…
Read MoreBurglary of Habitation or Criminal Trespass?
Burglary can be an extremely serious (and confusing) crime in the state of Texas. Although burglary is most often connected with theft, illicit entry into a building to commit assault or any felony-level offense is also considered burglary under state law. Texans facing charges of trespass, burglary, or burglary of habitation often don’t know the…
Read MoreWhen a Victim Recants: Why You Can Still Be Charged with Domestic Violence
Domestic violence charges can have many severe consequences for the person accused, and a conviction could affect their lives in numerous ways: their options for employment, ability to rent an apartment or buy a home, right to own a firearm, and opportunity to care for and visit their children. Sometimes, domestic violence charges result from…
Read MoreIs Robbery Considered a Violent Crime in Texas?
When you think of violent crimes, your mind most likely goes to murder, rape, and assault. The last crime that you may think of when it comes to violent crimes is theft. But robbery is different. While technically a theft crime, it is also an assaultive crime, and as such, can be classified as a…
Read MoreHow Do You Challenge a DWI Blood Test?
If you have ever been accused of driving while under the influence, then you are familiar with a blood test. Compared to a breath test or a field sobriety test, a blood test is one of the most accurate tests that you can take to identify your sobriety. Or is it? While a blood test…
Read MoreParents, Talk to Your Teens About Consent
As a parent, the thought of talking to your teen about sex can be uncomfortable. However, in this day and age, it is crucial. Even though sexual assault cases involving teens have happened for decades, it is even more prevalent now with human trafficking and statutory rape cases. There are many reasons why teens are…
Read MoreYou Can be Charged with DWI in Texas Even if You Don’t Drink Alcohol
Most people associate a DWI charge with drinking alcohol. However, in Texas, this is only partially true. Under state law, a person is driving while intoxicated (DWI) when they are do not have the ordinary use of their mental or physical faculties because of consumption of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of those substances, or by exhibiting…
Read MoreWhat Impact Will Wooden v. U.S. Have on Criminal Defense?
In March 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral in a case involving how predicate offenses – crimes that may be considered a component of a larger crime – are considered and classified under the Armed Career Criminal Act. SCOTUS reversed the decision made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth…
Read MoreWhat Drug Charges Are Federal Felony Crimes?
If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, there are two words you do not want to hear in reference to your charges: federal or felony. Being charged with a federal felony offense can place the rest of your life in jeopardy. In one of the most important fights of your life, you…
Read MoreWhen Is a DWI Stop Illegal?
Protecting the people from injustice and harm is the main goal of laws in the first place. Upholding an American’s Constitutional rights must always come first, no matter who is involved or what the citizen is accused of doing. Of course, just because that is the law, does not mean it is always respected. Quotas…
Read MoreWhat Is an Officer Allowed to Do During an Interrogation?
There are few things more stressful, terrifying, and exhausting than being subjected to a formal police interrogation. Whether or not you are guilty of the crime, you’re still treated like a criminal. Most people never have to find this out the hard way, but those who do can be completely, 100% innocent and still end…
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