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Texas’ Best Law Programs

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Whether you use the web to look into TXU Electricity Rates in Addison or provisional cases in Austin you know Texas has a wide range of online educational opportunities. If you’re interested in getting your law degree in Texas, however, you’ve got to head to a brick-and-mortar schoolhere are a few of the state’s best law programs:
University of Texas – The school of law in Austin is one of the most revered in the country and for good reason. The program’s a hallmark of the university and it’s got thousands of students passing the bar each month. It’s a great option for just out of college law school applicants.
Baylor Law – Baylor is a bit tougher to get into than some of its counterparts and for good reason. It’s a great school with a stellar academic reputation and it has flexible class times that work well for older students, too.
South Texas College of Law – If you’ve had a hard time getting into one of the big-name schools consider applying to smaller but equally admired South Texas. They’ve got all sorts of programs for adult students and a great public policy program.

Texas’ Best Law Programs

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Texas Law Enforcement at The Local Level

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As I see it, law enforcement at the local level in Texas is the responsibility of the local police chief. Because of limited resources, local law enforcement officers must prioritize law enforcement. Sometimes illegal immigration is a lesser priority than prostitution or drug law enforcement. Or another police chief from a different part of Texas thinks illegal immigration is the number one priority in his jurisdiction. This is how it should be. Local police chiefs know what is best for their community. And somebody has to make decisions. Overall, they work to ensure the safety of citizens and create a place where families can flourish.

Uniformed cops, which I understand are the majority of police officers, are the officers who show up when there’s an emergency. Maybe somebody has collapsed from the heat and needs help. Or a bar patron raises a ruckus in a bar. Or an arguing couple have taken their argument to the street, which has caused neighbors to complain. The stuff police do at the local level is meaningful because the police officers’ actions reflect the community’s concern. It is done right.

Because of budget constraints, local police must choose between instances when the law is broken, and prosecute crimes that seem the most offensive. They do a good job, and I feel safe because of them.

Texas Constitution, Statutes and Penal Code

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Texas Constitution guarantees the rights of the citizens of Texas. The Texas Constitution consists of 17 articles. Article 1 is the Texas Bill of Rights. The articles of the Texas Constitution cover a broad range of liberties. The Constitution outlines the responsibilities and limitations of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the government. The articles of the Texas Constitution cover areas such as the right to vote, taxes, education and taxation.

The Statutes of the State of Texas contain the laws that were enacted by the state legislature. The Texas Statutes regulate a wide range of activities within the State of Texas. The laws covered under the general Texas Statutes include the regulation of labor, agriculture, and natural resources. The Texas Statutes also regulate parks and wildlife, insurance and finance. The Texas Statutes include the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the Penal Code.

The Texas Penal Code is included in the provisions of the Texas Statutes. The Penal Code outlines the crimes and punishments in the State of Texas. The Texas Penal Code includes defenses and justifications excluding responsibility for actions. The Texas Penal Code covers a multitude of offenses ranging from murder and kidnapping to computer crimes.

Texas Courts and How They Judge

admin — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Since 1992 the rate of imprisonment in the U.S. has risen by 45. In Texas the rate has increased by 100. Texas also has executed more inmates than any other state. Since 1819 until July 2011 1,222 inmates have been executed. Capital murder is usually the only crime punishable by death except Texas has added aggravated sexual assault on a child by a person who has previously been convicted of that same crime. Texas also allows for a person charged as an accessory to a capital murder to also be charged and convicted of capital murder even though they did not commit the murder.

To practice law in Texas you will need to have your Bachelors degree, 3 years of law school and pass the Texas state bar exam. The bar exam is a comprehensive test of all Texas laws and penal codes. If you are interested in studying law in Texas 5 of the top law schools are: University of Texas Law School, University of Houston Law Center, Texas Tech University Law School, Baylor Law School and Southern Methodist University School of Law. There are also many websites that can be used as a study guide to help you pass the Texas bar exam.

Texas Governor, Legislature and Supreme Court

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The current governor of Texas is Rick Perry (Republican), in office since 2000. Governors are elected to terms of four years with no term limits. Until Perry, no governor had served more than seven-and-a-half consecutive years.

The Texas Legislature, like every state except Nebraska, has a bicameral legislature. This means there are two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Texas House has 150 members–currently, 101 Republicans and 49 Democrats. Each is elected for a two-year term and represents roughly 113,000 people.I found some more information here. The Texas Senate has only 31 members–currently, 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. Each senator is elected for a four-year term and represents close to 548,000 people. Neither chamber has a term limit.

The Legislature meets for 140 days every other year. When not in session, the governor can call the legislature back for a special session if necessary.

Texas’ “Supreme Court” is different from most states. The Texas Supreme Court itself only handles civil matters, including all juvenile cases. A separate court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, handles all criminal matters of last resort. Both courts have nine justices each, elected to staggered six-year terms in partisan elections (all 18 at the moment are Republican).