The body of laws that help to regulate society in the United States is quite substantial. While they are very extensive and detailed, they are designed to attempt to keep peace among all citizens who live in America. They are designed to assign punishments to people who cause harm to others in hopes of preventing crimes from happening. The reality, though, is that crime still happens, and when it does people have to go to court to discuss or argue their relative guilt or innocence. Sometimes people who are charged with a crime willingly know they have committed a crime and sometimes people may not be aware. In any case it is a good idea to hire a Houston criminal attorney if you are charged with a crime and live in the state of Texas.
There are many different kinds of laws and many different ways that a person can be involved with legal violations. For example, you could do something that is somewhat negligent or accidental and still be charged with a simple crime. On the other hand, if you plan to break a law or willfully commit an act that breaks a law you can be charged with a much more serious crime. A good Houston criminal attorney can help you understand the difference if you have been charged.
For example, you might be charged with trespassing if you cross from public property onto private property. This is one of the most common crimes committed in the United States, partially because you can commit the crime and not even know it. In most cases, owners of private property do not have a problem with these casual instances. However, criminal trespassing occurs if the owner of the property posts a highly-visible sign or gives you a verbal warning to stay away. Refusing to leave or ignoring the warning, then, constitutes trespassing. A Houston criminal attorney can further explain this and might also inform you that a conviction usually results in a minor penalty of up to $1000.
Another common crime in the United States is the use of offensive conduct or language. This is a crime that is very easy to commit because of the nature of conversation in America. For example, you could be talking very candidly to a friend on the street and then enter a building where it is much quieter, where people can hear every word you say. If you swear or use a racial slur, someone could hear it and get offended. A Houston criminal attorney will explain that if there are children present, this charge could be much worse.
There are two kinds of assault that are also common in the United States. You might be aware, primarily of physical assault, which is the wrongful use of force on another person, but a Houston criminal attorney can explain to you how it is possible to get charged with assault just for using threatening language. Again, the use of language is something that is sometimes difficult to control; you have to be aware of your surroundings.