Supreme Court Decision in Gutierrez v. Saenz (2025): Expanding Post-Conviction DNA Testing Rights in Texas
Introduction: A Landmark Ruling for Post-Conviction Relief in Texas In June 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a major victory for individuals pursuing post-conviction relief in Texas. In Gutierrez v. Saenz, the Court held (by a 6-3 vote) that a death-row inmate could bring a federal civil rights lawsuit to challenge Texas’s restrictive post-conviction DNA […]
Read MoreTexas Court Reverses Conviction Over Miranda Violation: What It Means for Criminal Defense in Houston
Case Background: Custodial Interrogation and an Invocation of Rights The Luckenbach case began with a tragic crime and an unusual surrender. James Joseph Luckenbach was suspected of a double homicide in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. Days after the incident, Luckenbach arrived at the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office to turn himself in. Crucially, he did not come […]
Read MoreTexas Court Affirms Passenger’s Right to Challenge Prolonged Traffic Stops (State v. Pettit, 2025)
Background: Traffic Stop Leads to Hour-Long Detention and K-9 Search In State v. Pettit, a routine traffic stop in Texas escalated into an hour-long detention culminating in a K-9 drug dog search. The stop began over a minor speeding infraction (51 in a 45 mph zone), but the situation expanded when passenger Justin Heath Pettit […]
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