San Antonio Criminal Defense Blog

The teen years are hard on everybody, but for some, this challenging time can lead to criminal behavior. The reasons are numerous: a desire to fit in, a way to get attention, curiosity. Even the best of parents can have teens who get into a brush with the law.

Whether this is your teen's first criminal charge or you have dealt with this situation before, you may feel overwhelmed and not know what to do. The legal system for juveniles is different from that for adults, so it is important to have an understanding of how things may go, so you can try to get the best outcome for your child.

When arrested in Texas, a person faces misdemeanor or felony charges. What determines the charge, and what are the differences? Federal and state guidelines dictate what crimes fit the category, and while initially charged under one, a charge may move to another.

Facts of a crime determine whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony. You should know some of the basics of both.

Larceny may be thought of as a form of theft or its own crime depending on where the crime is committed. As a general rule, larceny is the act of taking someone else's property in Texas without obtaining permission or using force to get it. Other elements of larceny including walking away with an item and doing so with the intent to deprive the property owner.

In some cases, taking possession of an unmovable item is enough to satisfy the carrying away element. It is important to note that if property is taken away for any lawful reason, it is not larceny. For instance, if a lender repossess property, that is not a crime. The same could be true if a person had permission to borrow or otherwise use an item. If an individual was removing his or her own property from another location, that also would not qualify as larceny.

A 59-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment plus 20 years for helping to run a violent motorcycle gang involved in drug trafficking. The sentences were handed down by a federal judge on Sept. 22. During a three-month-long trial that concluded in May, prosecutors convinced a jury that the man committed his crimes while acting as the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Organization's national vice president.

Prosecutors told the jury that the man ordered Bandidos members to commit crimes including intimidation, assault, extortion, robbery and murder to increase the organization's influence and extend its reach. The police investigations into the gang's activities intensified in 2006 when a man who had been recruiting members for the Hells Angels motorcycle gang was found murdered. Investigators say that the man ordered the killing during a motorcycle gang turf war. He was also linked to a 2002 revenge killing.