The Right to a Public Trial During Voir Dire in Texas: What Hernandez v. State Means
Written and reviewed by George Napier, Founding Attorney at The Napier Law Firm, former Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney and Felony Chief Prosecutor. Status note: On May 19, 2026, Houston’s Fourteenth Court of Appeals issued a published opinion reversing Mauricio Alfaro Hernandez’s conviction and remanding the case for a new trial. The court held that […]
Read MoreTexas Speedy-Trial Rights: When Delay and Refiling Go Too Far
Written and reviewed by George Napier, Founding Attorney at The Napier Law Firm, former Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney and Felony Chief Prosecutor. A Texas criminal case can be dismissed and refiled. That does not give the State an unlimited right to restart the prosecution every time trial approaches. The Sixth Amendment and the Texas […]
Read MoreWhat Happens When Prosecutors Fail to Disclose Evidence in a Texas Criminal Case?
Written and reviewed by George Napier, Founding Attorney at The Napier Law Firm, former Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney and Felony Chief Prosecutor. A criminal case can change instantly when the defense learns—after the jury has been selected and witnesses have started testifying—that the prosecution possessed evidence that should have been disclosed before trial. That […]
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