Criss & Rousseau Legal Issues Blog
The importance of reviewing an estate plan in Texas
If you've already created a will and/or trusts, you may feel like you're done with the estate planning process. However, your plan should be periodically revisited to ensure that it's still current and valid. Various changes in laws and family situations could make it...
The problems with witness identification
The dangers of witness identification If you have been accused by Galveston law enforcement officials of having committed a felony, there is a strong possibility that you have been identified by a witness as being the perpetrator, whether it is through a police...
No dependable research shows that SCAN works
Texas residents may be interested in learning about an unproven mind-reading tool that cops around the world are using. The tool is called Scientific Content Analysis, or SCAN. The creators of this tool claim that it can identify deception. The FBI, CIA and law...
About 200,000 Americans die each year because of medical errors
Texas residents may be interested in learning about the statistics regarding medical errors and the progress that is being made. According to the U.S. government, medical errors that could be prevented potentially take the lives of more than 200,000 Americans every...
Distracted drivers pose a risk on the road
Distracted driving is a problem that endangers many people on Texas roads. Some automakers have seen the risk distracted driving creates and have begun working on tools that include a mixture of artificial intelligence and visual monitoring systems in order to...
People may not be as objective as they think
Judges in Texas and other states may use their intuition when making a decision in a legal matter. In some cases, this is because they believe in their ability to make objective decisions. However, their rulings may also be based on unconscious biases. These are...
What are the standards of care in medicine?
Medical care must be up to certain standards to keep patients safe. The problem is that the standards can change based on the situation. Patients who don't receive appropriate care can suffer great harm, but it is sometimes difficult to prove that substandard care is...
The problems with community service sentencing
For some people in Texas, community service sentencing seems to provide an alternative to harsh jail time or hefty fines that many criminal defendants cannot afford. Community service is often touted as a humane alternative that poses fewer restrictions for people...
Study finds more people detained, convicted
Texas residents who are detained and convicted of even minor crimes may find a reduction in their earnings over a lifetime. According to a study that appeared in Crime and Delinquency, even though overall crime is on the decline, young people today are more likely to...
Felony convictions can accompany excessively broad laws
Many people in Texas and across the United States are concerned about excessive criminalization and the involvement of too many people in the criminal justice system. Some have drawn attention to absurd or overreaching laws that remain on the books that can lead to a...
