Texas residents may be interested to hear that the murder rate in Houston was estimated to be down by 20.5 percent in 2017. This is part of a downward trend for both crime overall and violent crimes in particular. Violent crimes are forecast to drop by .6 percent according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. The overall crime rate is expected to drop by 1.7 percent in 2017.
In addition to a drop in the murder rate in Houston, the murder rate was down by 25.6 percent in Detroit and 19.1 percent in New York. However, the rate was expected to be higher in Charlotte, where murders doubled in the first half of 2017 compared to the first half of 2016. A decrease in the violent crime rate is largely attributed to crime rates stabilizing or going down in places such as Chicago and Washington, D.C.
The overall murder rate in the United States is likely to be similar to 2009 numbers. This figure would put it among the lowest rates since 1990 while still higher than the record low set in 2013. Furthermore, violent crime rates are expected to be 1 percent higher than in 2014, which was the lowest seen since 1990.
If a person is facing homicide charges or other allegations related to a violent crime, it may result in serious consequences. If convicted of a violent crime, a lengthy prison term is likely. An attorney may be able to work with an individual to create a defense to these or other charges. It may be possible to cast doubt on witness testimony or assert that an action was taken in self-defense.
