As the summer and political heat reaches its peak, perhaps evoking a history challenge may be a cooler diversion. If asked, what are the two most popular amendments of the United States Constitutional Bill of Rights, a gambling man (or woman) may answer, the First and Second Amendments. Of course, there are a number of others that are just as important to protecting the rights of Americans, especially those who have been accused of a crime.

Basic Civil Rights

As our forefathers provided futuristic insight as to the importance of each amendment, the First Amendment protects our fundamental rights of conscience allowing for the right of expression without public or governmental interference. While not unlimited, these rights represent the bedrock of American liberty.

Texas, with its vast landscape measuring 268,581 square miles, has often been associated with maxim that “everything is bigger in Texas.” The Lone Star State, however, is also known for its commitment to law enforcement and has been ranked as one of the top five states for traffic violations, tickets issued, and revenue collected.

With over 13,498,071 registered drivers, it is estimated that the Texas Highway Patrol collects  $200,000 per year, per officer due to ticketing for both major and minor traffic violations. The most common type of minor and major traffic violations and ticket prices include:

Minor Traffic Violation Fines

The average American now spends more than 490 minutes or eight hours per day on the internet. It is projected that by 2017, personal internet usage will climb upwards to 506 minutes, increasing the current usage rate. As usage expands so does the risk for identity theft.

At the onset of popularity of the internet during the early to mid 2000s, Americans, as well as those having global access to the world wide web, have been progressively utilizing the internet to conduct countless business and leisure activities, including:

• Communicating via email;
• Networking via Social Media;
• Navigating general and personal interest searches;
• Gathering national and international news reports;
• Streaming music and videos;
• Gaming;
• Shopping;
• Personal banking; and
• Conducting employment searches.

According to USA Today, experts have defined identity theft as the successful obtainment of an unsuspecting consumer’s bank account or other personal information with the intent to commit fraudulent transactions. Identity theft is projected to surpass traditional methods of theft to top the list of the leading form of property crime. As security analysts advise, consumers should prepare to become a victim of identity theft at some point in time.

As the summer solstice quickly approaches, set to reach the western hemisphere on June 21 at 12:24 a.m., those in temperate regions look forward to welcoming the warmth of sun-filled longer days. For boaters, in particular, it signifies yet another enjoyable season on the open water but perhaps not without consequences. At last count, more than 88 million U.S. adults participated in recreational boating but owning or operating a recreational watercraft comes with responsibilities. When a boat operator is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, serious personal injuries, fatalities and possible criminal charges can shorten the longest of summer days. 

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that, in 2014, there were 5.2 boating fatalities per 100,000 registered recreational vessels nationwide. Many of these deaths were attributed, at least to some degree, to operators choosing to boat while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. To combat these alarming statistics, the partners of Operation Dry Water (ODW) work diligently to promote awareness of the dangers of boating while under the influence or BWI.

Summer Campaign Planned 

Expungement can be considered such a strange word, but it is one that could make all the difference when facing your future without the stigma of a juvenile criminal conviction, unjust arrest, DUI charge, or criminal prosecution acquittal. From Arizona to Washington, 20 states in all, including Texas, offer some form of expungement (also known as expunction) and nondisclosure of records procedures for both misdemeanor and felony relatable charges.

If you reside in Texas and want to learn more about the expunction of criminal records, under Texas Title 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 55 Expunction of Criminal Records, the following summary may provide insight as to how you and your expungement attorney can legally safeguard your future.

Defining Expungement