Jeffrey F. Duke General Practice Law Blog on Lawyers.com

As the 28th largest metropolitan area in the United States, the greater San Antonio region is home to two million people—growing from 1.7 million in 2000, according to the US Census Bureau. With this continued growth in population has also come an incremental growth in crime. In 2008, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, San Antonio recorded the largest increase in crime among major Texas cities.

As court systems are strained to accommodate the growth in case load, the need for experienced San Antonio criminal defense attorneys increases too. In Bexar County, there are just over 5,000 attorneys registered with the State Bar of Texas—many of them criminal defense lawyers in San Antonio working with clients every day to seek acquittal for various misdemeanor and felony crimes. Here are just a few examples of high-profile cases in the greater San Antonio area and across Texas:

• In June 2009, Yemi Babalola, a former Texas A&M lineman was found guilty of aggravated robbery and faces sentencing of up to life imprisonment. Babalola and former teammate Brandon Joiner were arrested in December 2007 after a November armed robbery involving drugs. Both men now await trial.
• The woman convicted of killing singer Selena in 1995, lost her appeal in June 2009 because it was filed in the wrong county. The 2000 appeal should have been filed in Harris County instead of Nueces County. Although Yolanda Saldivar was originally indicted in Nueces County, her case was moved and she was convicted of shooting Selena in Harris County in 1995. The case was then transferred back to Nueces County in 2000. Two months earlier, Saldivar had filed an appeal in Nueces County, making it improper according to the Court of Criminal Appeals. In 2025, Saldivar becomes eligible for parole.
• The case of a sixteen-year-old girl dubbed “Angela” by San Antonio law enforcement officials is becoming an example of the intricacies faced by human trafficking support groups, legal authorities, and the judicial system when determining the fate of under-age victims. In 2008, Angela was arrested for theft and was uncooperative with police who were unaware of Angela’s role in San Antonio sex trafficking. Angela was placed in the juvenile system on a theft charge. Authorities have since determined that Angela has been an underage victim of forced prostitution for about four years. As of June 2009, Angela is off the streets and in a safe place receiving medical care and counseling. The two adults accused of forcing Angela into prostitution have been arrested for their participation in sex trafficking. Angela’s situation has been instrumental in amending Texas legislation regarding human-trafficking which now states that human trafficking victims can’t be charged with crimes they’re forced to commit.
• In June 2009, a 29-year-old actor was found guilty of aggravated robbery in the 175th District Court of Bexar County. Guadalupe Diaz and three other actors were involved in a home invasion robbery in 2008 and accused of holding two adults and two children at gunpoint while ransacking the victims’ home. The victims recognized the robbers and reported them to authorities. Diaz received a 45-year prison sentence; accomplice Pedro Lugo is awaiting trial; participant Roger Martinez has already been tried on a separate robbery charge and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The fourth robbery accomplice has not yet been identified.

Criminal cases are interesting to read about in the newspaper and watch on television, but if you’re charged with a crime, it’s a serious matter that can take years to resolve and impact how you live the rest of your life. If you face criminal charges, enlist assistance from an attorney who is familiar with your type of case and has significant court experience litigating criminal law in San Antonio.

This information has been provided by The Duke Firm, PC:

4706 Sunny Trail Court
Sugar Land, Texas 77479 U.S.A.
(888) 314-5720