Only 5% of Attorneys Earn this Distinction

Dallas, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/05/2018 -- Tim Clancy, a criminal defense attorney in Dallas, Texas of Clancy & Clancy Attorneys at Law earned the coveted 2018 Super Lawyers award for his outstanding performance and professional achievement in the legal industry. Clancy is now in one of the nation's most elite clubs for legal counselors, as only five percent of attorneys in Texas earn the annual Super Lawyer recognition.

Clancy is a well-respected criminal lawyer who has provided legal defense for people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the past 15 years. He was selected for this honor because of his notable success representing and defending clients in criminal cases in both state and federal court, and because of peer nomination and recognition. Clancy shared a few words with us after learning of his recognition.

"It is a great honor to be recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer in 2018. I appreciate the recognition for my hard-work in achieving great results for my clients."

The Super Lawyers guide, published by Thomson Reuters, annually identifies the top lawyers in a wide range of practices for each individual state. The attorneys are selected using a multiphase process that includes peer nominations and evaluations, combined with independent research. Each year, Super Lawyers rates lawyers from more than 70 practice areas of law. These individuals are evaluated on 12 indicators of professional achievement and peer recognition. The 2018 lawyers guide, along with individual profiles, is published in a Texas edition of Super Lawyers Magazine and distributed to legal professionals and ABA-accredited school libraries. The list is designed to be a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel, so they can work with the best of the best in their respective state.

Prior to being selected as a Texas Super Lawyer for 2018, Clancy was recognized as a Rising Star (reserved for young attorneys under 40) three consecutive years, in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He became licensed to practice law by the State Bar of Texas in 2003, after earning his Bachelor of Art degree at Texas Tech University and Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law.

Clancy began his law career as a state prosecutor with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office in Fort Worth, an experience that gave him valuable insight on cases from a prosecution perspective, as well as strategies they use. Now he defends clients facing a number of different criminal charges including: drug charges like possession of a controlled substance and drug delivery and manufacturing, DWI, Juvenile, Federal crimes, internet crimes, fraud, domestic violence, assault, theft, and many other misdemeanor and felony charges. Clancy is licensed to practice law before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Texas.

Clancy prides himself in his straightforward communication with clients, and uncompromising approach with prosecutors in Court. Clancy sets himself apart by making himself readily accessible to clients and their specific needs throughout the legal process, and providing effective defense strategies. Clancy is also committed to serving the legal community, and is an active member of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the Dallas Bar Association.

Contact Tim Clancy for a consultation or other media opportunities by emailing info@dfwcriminallawyer.com or sending a message from his website at http://www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/.

Clancy & Clancy Attorneys at Law
3131 McKinney Ave #800 Dallas, Texas 75204
214-550-5771
Directions

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Texas HB 2908 Will Increase Penalties for Crimes Against Police Officers and Judges If Proven They Were Targeted Because of Their Vocation.

Dallas, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/22/2017 -- Following the passage of House Bill 2908 on May 23, police officers and judges are poised to be included among the protected classes covered by the state's hate crime statute. Also referred to as the Police Protection Act, the bill would include the same enhanced penalties for crimes specifically targeted at judges and law enforcement personnel as are currently established for crimes committed based on the victim's gender, race, religion, age, sexual preference or disability status. Republican Governor Greg Abbott is expected to approve the measure promptly and set the stage for the legislation to go into effect as of September 1, 2017.

The bill was first proposed by Gov. Abbott last July following Micah Xavier Johnson's shooting spree at a July 7, 2016 protest against the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Johnson killed five Dallas law enforcement officers and wounded nine more before being killed himself following a two-hour standoff with police. An amendment to the bill on May 12 extended hate crime protections for judges as well. This addition was prompted by Judge Julie Kocurek's March testimony in front of a Texas Senate committee. Kocurek was specifically targeted by a defendant in one of her cases and was shot four times in front of her home in November 2015.

When signed into law, the legislation will increase the penalties for crimes against police officers and judges by one level when the prosecution can demonstrate that the victim was targeted due to their job. Making terroristic threats against police officers or judges that place the victim in fear of imminent bodily harm will become a state jail felony with a maximum jail sentence of two years. Assaulting or unlawfully restraining a police officer or judge will become a second-degree felony with a punishment of up to 20 years in prison, while any crime that leads to serious bodily harm will be raised to a first-degree felony with a 99-year maximum sentence.
 
For a comprehensive list of the different types of Texas felonies and the penalties that go along with them, please see this page:

http://www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/felony/

When first proposing the legislation, Gov. Abbott asserted that the bill was necessary to "send a resolute message" that Texas stands by its law enforcement officials. However, critics of the bill assert that hate crime statutes are not intended to protect occupations. In addition, the bill's detractors point out that the Texas legal code already prescribes sentencing enhancements for crimes targeted against police.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Questions raised about why Sandra Bland was arrested in the first place.

Dallas, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/04/2015 -- In mid-July 2015, Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman, was found dead in her jail cell. Ms. Bland, who had been admitted to the Texas county jail three days prior, had hanged herself. While the death has been ruled a suicide (although her family adamantly denies this), interrogations are being opened into why Sandra Bland was jailed in the first place, as well as why she wasn't under better watch despite telling jail personnel that she was suicidal.

The Cause of Sandra Bland's Arrest

According to news reports, Sandra Bland was allegedly arrested by a Texas state trooper when she illegally assaulted him. The state trooper, a Mr. Brian Encinia, had originally pulled Ms. Bland over for failing to signal. Perhaps she was hesitant to exit the vehicle, as many people might be. When asking Ms. Bland to exit the vehicle, Encinia visibly points to his taser – the interaction was caught on camera. However, Encinia then asked Bland to come over to the side of the vehicle, where interactions were no longer visible by video.

A simple traffic stop for failing to use a turn signal then escalated into charges of assaulting a police officer. Assault charges in Texas are typically a misdemeanor(http://www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/misdemeanors/), but they are escalated to a third degree felony if the person assaulted is a police officer.

Criminal Investigation Opened

Texas District Attorney Elton Mathis has opened a criminal investigation into Sandra Bland's arrest. While it's unclear what charges may be filed against Encinia—if any—Mathis told reporters openly that he didn't like what he saw on the camera. Mathis has also opened a separate inquiry into Sandra Bland's death, telling reporters that if anything suspicious is found, he and his legal team will take it to a grand jury. The FBI is also looking into the investigation to determine whether or not any federal laws were broken.

After Ms. Bland's Arrest

Ms. Bland's arrest isn't the only thing that's suspicious; apparently upon being admitted to the jail, Bland told officers within the jail that she had attempted to commit suicide in the past. Despite this, county officials—when questioned in a state probe—failed to provide any documentation detailing that jail officers checked on inmates every hour, as is the law. Furthermore, there was also no documentation presenting evidence that jailers had been trained on how to handle inmates who are suffering from mental disabilities, including being potentially suicidal.

The Rights of Those Arrested & Charged

Regardless of whether or not a person is guilty, he or she has rights under federal and state laws. In this case, Sandra Bland's rights may have been violated. Further investigations will tell more. Unfortunately Ms. Bland did not live long enough to hire a defense attorney, who could have helped uncover some of the mystery shrouding the arrest and subsequent suicide.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Senior Dallas Prosecutor Becky Dodds Resigns After Reporting Watkins Misconduct

Dallas, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/26/2014 -- Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins is in the limelight again after a high ranking District Attorney named Becky Dodds resigned, stating that she could no longer work with Craig Watkins given his behavior.

Becky Dodds asked Craig Watkins to continue an investigation into the disappearance of plea bargain paperwork that went missing from a case heard by Judge Elizabeth Frizell. According to Dodds, Watkins said that he would not pick fights with judges during an election season.

The alleged missing paperwork incident and Dodds' claims against Watkins occurred in April of 2014 in a family violence case heard in Dallas County. The defendant in the case told the judge that she didn't understand the charges in the plea bargain she had just signed. Then the signed paperwork vanished.

Judge Frizell should have advised the defendant to discuss the charges further with her defense attorney. Then if Judge Frizell wanted to have the plea bargain removed, she should have sent the clerk a written documented order instructing them to do so. Instead, the judge told the clerk to remove the plea from the system and it was never seen again.

No grand jury investigations into Frizell's actions have taken place as of yet.

About Craig Watkins
Craig Watkins has not been indicted for any charges. If the government were to bring charges against him, they would most likely involve federal corruption charges, assuming patronage or influence peddling were involved. Federal corruption is a federal criminal charge (http://www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/white-collar-crime/) and third degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

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19 Year Old McBride Was Unarmed & Intoxicated When Shot in the Head

Dallas, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/08/2014 -- Theodore Wafer was found guilty of both 2nd degree murder and manslaughter in Detroit, Michigan today for the death of Renisha McBride.

Wafer testified to the grand jury that he was more scared than he had ever been in his life when he heard banging on his door at 4:00am on November 13, 2013. When asked why he didn't call 911, Wafer noted that he couldn't find his cell phone.

19-year-old McBride had crashed her car nearby before knocking on Wafer's door that morning. According to toxicology reports and witnesses with her that night, she was severely intoxicated.

McBride was unarmed and prosecutors assume she was looking for help to get home when she knocked on Wafer's door that November morning.

The case has drawn national attention, with controversy drawing parallels between this case and the Trayvon Martin case. (http://www.dfwcriminallawyer.com/trayvon-martin-murder-trial-begins-with-opening-statements), the suspect in the Trayvon Martin murder case was found not guilty.

Stand your ground laws vary from state to state, giving certain distinguishable rights to people so they can stand their ground against attackers and violence. By contrast, Texas stand your ground laws would have protected Wafer's right to protect himself more freely against an intruder if he feared for his life.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm