Austin, Texas Criminal Attorneys

A sentence of life imprisonment looms for Darius Lovings after the jury found him liable for the death of William Ervin in 2012.

Court heard that Lovings had shot Ervin when the latter stopped to help him while he was pretending to have car trouble.

Austin criminal lawyer Jon Evans had asked the jury to consider that mental health issues have been at play during the incident.

Lovings had told the police after his arrest that he had heard voices.

Aside from Ervin's death, Lovings is also facing charges of robbery and attempted murder.

Ken Anderson, the former District Attorney of Williamson County, was meted with a 10-day jail term after the judge accepted his no-contest plea for the charge of contempt of court.

The charge steamed from the wrongful conviction of Michael Morton who was found guilty for the murder of his wife in 1986 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

However, in 2011, Morton's conviction was overturned using DNA as proof that he did not kill his wife.

In the light of that development, Anderson, who had prosecuted Morton's case, was scrutinized and was determined to have erred when he withheld evidence which would have been beneficial for Morton's defense.

Aside from the short jail stay, Anderson will also have to give up his license as a lawyer and as part of the plea bargain, he will also be disbarred for five years.

Austin attorney Eric Nichols, however, pointed out that there will be no conviction for Anderson on any criminal charge.

Morton, for his part, said he is more than happy with the result because all he wanted was for Anderson not to practice law anymore to prevent what happened to him from happening to anyone else again.

Anderson was also fined and made to do community service.

A jury found Thomas Trent Atkinson, a man tagged by prosecutors as a pimp, guilty of murdering Alejandro "Alex" Hernandez Jr. and is facing life imprisonment.

Court heard that Hernandez had picked up a sex worker but had later dropped her off when they couldn't agree on her fee.

Hernandez was later found dead. He was beaten and had a gunshot wound on his back.

The jury believed in the witness, the same sex worker whom Hernandez picked up, who said that she had seen Atkinson shoot Hernandez.

Atkinson's lawyer, Keith Lauerman, a criminal attorney in Austin, tried to discredit the woman but prosecutors said her claims were not baseless.

They added that she did not hide who she was to the jurors even admitting her love for Atkinson.

Nicholas Colunga will be spending 14 years in jail for hitting Kylie Doniak while driving intoxicated.

Doniak was among the pedestrians whom Colunga hit when he ignored a red light.

Aside from Doniak, two others were also injured in the incident for which Colunga was also convicted.

The judge ordered for Colunga to serve the sentences of his two other convictions simultaneously.

He also received more than $2,000 fine for all three convictions.

Prosecutors had wanted Colunga to be handed the maximum penalties for all charges but Amber Vasquez Bode, Austin defense attorney representing Colunga, told jurors that a longer stay in prison would make offenders more dangerous once they go back into society.

Bridget McDermott, a former inmate at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Oregon, was wrongly imprisoned for an additional 21 months due to a clerical error by the Oregon Department of Corrections. Initially expecting to be released on October 4, 2024, McDermott’s release was recalculated to July 5, 2022, revealing the chaotic nature of recent prison releases. Sarah Bieri, an attorney for the Oregon Justice Resource Center’s Women’s Justice Project, is exploring potential legal avenues for her client, who now seeks employment as a counselor. The transitions from prison have proven challenging for McDermott, who aims to reintegrate into society amidst significant changes.

Chicago police are investigating a series of violent robberies that transpired early Tuesday across the Loop, Lincoln Park, and Lakeview, affecting five victims. Notably, a 22-year-old woman was attacked near the Lincoln Park Zoo, while four individuals were robbed in the Loop, including a 49-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, both treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Officials report that robberies in these neighborhoods are on the rise, with Lincoln Park experiencing a 4% increase compared to last year. The suspects are described as Black males in hoodies, prompting heightened criminal defense measures in the area. Local authorities urge residents to remain vigilant amid this spike in violent crime.

Portland police have arrested 23-year-old Alex Brown-Golden in connection with the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Shepherd in Northeast Portland. The incident occurred on Beech Street, where witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots before finding Shepherd collapsed on the sidewalk. Authorities are emphasizing the importance of legal representation in such severe criminal cases, highlighting the role of competent criminal lawyers in Oregon. This arrest underscores ongoing efforts to enhance public safety throughout the state. Further investigations are ongoing as the community seeks justice.

Survivors, including Temarkus Washington, have filed lawsuits against the state of Illinois, detailing decades of sexual abuse at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. Two lawsuits represent 193 victims who allege systemic misconduct, including rape and unlawful strip searches, between 1995 and 2022. Attorney Todd Mathews emphasizes the urgent need to end this cycle of violence and negligence within the facility. As national scrutiny increases, survivors are seeking justice and accountability from state officials. With nearly 400 accounts documented, further legal action is anticipated in this civil litigation battle.

A Chicago man, Jonathan Byars, 26, has been sentenced to 25 years for orchestrating a series of armed robberies targeting cellphone stores throughout Illinois. In collaboration with several accomplices, Byars committed six robberies and attempted two more between 2019 and 2020, brandishing firearms to intimidate and assault employees. The crimes occurred in cities including Lansing, Rockford, and Joliet, prompting significant concern over community safety. U.S. Attorney's Office emphasized the danger posed by such delinquent conduct, as Judge Philip G. Reinhard imposed the sentence. Four additional Chicago men received sentences ranging from seven to 12 years for their involvement in these criminal acts.