Latest and Greatest - Texas DWI Manual

Picture this: You are comfortably seated in your office with your cup of coffee sorting through your email when the telephone rings. On the other end of the line is a hysterical woman. She has been arrested for DWI. What do you do?

By Deandra M. Grant and Kimberly Griffin Tucker

James Publishing, Inc. (2015)

KFT 1497.8 .G73

For starters, you can visit the Harris County Law Library. It is, after all, Criminal Defense Law Resource Month, and we recently acquired the most recent edition of the Texas DWI Manual published by James Publishing, Inc. This book, complete with forms, will direct you through the initial client interview and the subsequent case investigation and discovery process as well as the administrative driver’s license revocation hearing. In addition, you will learn the elements of a DWI, the various intoxication offenses and their punishment, and the charging instruments used in DWI cases.

Confused by the different field sobriety tests and their admissibility and use at trial? Don’t fret. The authors examine the fundamentals of the DWI breath test and explain how to attack the test and the results on both direct and cross-examination.  In addition, they analyze the methods and strategies involved when using blood alcohol tests as evidence.

Of course, success is not always guaranteed. That is why the authors also discuss punishment options and education and treatment programs as well as error preservation, appeals, and expunctions.

So, before you go ahead and accept that DWI case, be sure to have a look at Texas DWI Manual. It is filled with lots of useful information you will need to competently defend your client. You can find it in our Texas Criminal section or you can ask one of our helpful librarians..

Latest and Greatest - Suppressing Criminal Evidence

Are you considering filing a motion to suppress evidence that was obtained through a warrantless search of your client’s vehicle?

By Deja Vishny

James Publishing, Inc. (2016)

KF 9662 .V57 2016

Do you want to challenge a coerced confession or one made under Miranda v. Arizona?

Then, look than further than the Harris County Law Library’s new acquisition, Suppressing Criminal Evidence. This volume, complete with forms, will guide you, step-by-step, through the process of filing a motion to suppress from the initial client interview and discovery through actually drafting the motion and litigating it in court. The author provides a summary of the laws surrounding Fourth Amendment searches and seizures, including searches of the home, the standards of probable cause and reasonable suspicion, motor vehicle searches, and searches and seizures of electronic devices. She also discusses the suppression of confessions and other statements and police interrogation practices. Included in this volume are over 40 forms including sample motions to suppress and more than 80 pattern cross-examinations to assist you during the hearing on your motion to suppress. There are numerous practice pointers and tips throughout the book.

Before you file your next (or first) motion to suppress, come to the Harris County Law Library and have a look at Suppressing Criminal Evidence. Who knows? That evidence you got suppressed just may save your client.

Latest and Greatest – Nolo Publications

In an effort to support its mission of providing all patrons access to relevant and practical legal information, the Harris County Law Library maintains a self-help collection that is designed to assist self-represented parties in learning about an area or topic of law without having to sort through unfamiliar and often difficult legal terminology. Part of this self-help collection is a series of books published by Nolo, a company that seeks to “make the law accessible to everyone.” The books, written in plain English by attorneys and legal professors, cover a range of topics such as bankruptcy, immigration, family law, labor and employment, landlord-tenant, and estate planning, just to name a few. Although the books are not meant to be a substitute for getting the advice of a lawyer, they can help the reader better understand a legal issue and discover some answers to their legal questions.

The Harris County Law Library has recently received new editions of the following titles:

Look for them (and many other titles) on our shelves!

Latest and Greatest – Locating U.S. Government Information Handbook

By Edward Herman and Theodora Belniak

Published by William S. Hein, Co., Inc. (2015)

ZA 5055 .U6 H47 2015

Let’s face it. There is a lot of government information found in print and online, but actually finding it can be quite difficult, not to mention confusing. Here comes Edward Herman’s Locating U.S. Government Information Handbook to the rescue. Designed for the novice researcher, this handbook takes you through a brief introduction about the structure of the United States government and basic online research skills and strategies then on to more specific research sources, such as the indexes published by the Government Publishing Office, U.S. Government maps, historical government documents, and technical reports. There is also some helpful information about how to contact governmental agencies and members of Congress as well as a discussion of the Freedom of Information Act and how to submit requests under the Act.

If you feel overwhelmed by the volume of government information and are not sure how to find answers you are seeking, try Locating U.S. Government Information Handbook. It’s available at the reference desk. Just ask a librarian for assistance.

Legal Writing Resources Month

April is Legal Writing Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. Whether you are an attorney drafting a motion or a self-represented litigant navigating the court system, writing is a necessary component of your legal work. Visit the Law Library all month long to find resources on display that you can use to improve and enhance your legal writing skills. Resources include: