On Tuesday, September 1, 2009, several laws will go into effect in Texas, including a law which makes online harassment a third-degree felony.
This new law specifies that a person can be charged with online harassment if he or she uses the name of another person to create a Web page or to post one or more messages on a commercial social networking site without obtaining the other person’s consent with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten any person. Online harassment is punishable by 2-10 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Those who blog frequently or use Facebook and/or Twitter should be especially careful. For instance, if you have an argument with a friend or a co-worker, think twice before venting online, because you could be charged with online harassment.
admin Uncategorized
The Houston Chronicle posted a story today about a Houston man, Ernest Sonnier, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1986 for aggravated kidnapping, but who today is allowed to go free pending more investigation. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office did not oppose his release.
Ernest Sonnier was charged with aggravated kidnapping for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman in 1985. Apparently 2 men kidnapped the woman and drove towards San Antonio. During the drive, they each abused her sexually. Although 2 men were responsible for the crime, only one person was convicted and as it seems, wrongfully so. DNA testing has since proven that those responsible are actually 2 convicted felons and not Sonnier.
admin Uncategorized
Abc 13 reportsthat Bryant Munoz was arrested for taking a cell phone picture up a woman’s skirt. Allegedly, this occurred at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse, which we can all agree is not the best place to engage in debauchery. He is charged with the State Jail Felony of Improper Photography. The charge is found in Section 21.15 of the Texas Penal Code.
Improper Photography is rarely filed. I am not sure if that is because not many people do it, not many people get caught doing it, or it goes unreported. Although Munoz is a 29 year old man, I could see teenage boys doing something like this at school. This case should be a warning to all parents and it would be worth it to sit down with teens and explain that their cell phone cameras could cause them to be charged with a felony.
Should this be a felony? Munoz would have been charged with a misdemeanor if he had punched the woman in the nose, drove drunk through Houston or even broken into a car. Munoz apparently lacks judgment and may have other issues, but I think the legislature may have over-criminalized this one.
I am interested to hear what his attorney argues, if anything.
admin Uncategorized Criminal Court Harris County Penal Code Attorney
The Houston Chronicle reports that there is data showing that crime is “outpacing” Houston officers. Well, that is not exactly the problem.
Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers Union said, “We have to learn to work smarter and try to use technology a little bit more.” That is not the problem either.
As a taxpayer, it is frustrating to see the Houston Police Department budget has increased from 480 million in 2004 to 680 million today, without increasing the number of police officers. So where is all of that money going? The article does not state it, but there is a large portion going to overtime for officers sitting in municipal traffic courts and misdemeanor county courts in Harris County.
Houston ranks as one of the highest in the nation for violent crime and is number one in Texas. That is not good for anyone. Yet, HPD whines about a lack of manpower and a skimpy budget as excuses for this spike in crime. All the while, there is no oversight in non-violent divisions. I assure you the officers in the HPD Vice Squad – which investigates prostitution and other petty crimes – have a full day ahead of themselves. Supported by our taxpayer dollars, undercover HPD Vice Squad officers will be getting full-body massages at Houston-area “spas” and trying to get young Asian and Latina women to agree to have sex with the officers. (Seriously! Houston cops actually spend their time doing this, and so do Harris County Sheriff’s deputies! Sometimes undercover officers will persistently nag a woman to agree to have sex for a fee, despite that the women often repeatedly tell them “no”. Some of these undercover cops will spend up to an hour getting their naked bodies massaged, claiming it is necessary, in order to make a ”bust” for one of their “sting” operations.) To top it off, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office enthusiastically accepts prostitution charges, even in cases when the police officers don’t even bother to video tape the “encounter” or even audio tape the alleged conversation between the undercover cop and the woman giving the massage.
But not to worry. There will always be plenty of Houston police officers stationed around Houston to catch people for driving with expired inspection stickers.
admin Uncategorized