Frisco Criminal Defense Lawyer Discusses Criminal Law Trends on Radio

As an experienced and established defense lawyer, James P. Whalen is featured as a knowledgeable guest on 1190 AM’s Ask the Expert every month. During these appearances, Mr. Whalen discusses current events and issues surrounding federal and state criminal law.

This past Saturday, Mr. Whalen joined the show’s host to educate listeners about recent trends in the federal criminal justice system. Some of the topics he spoke about included:

Cyber crime. According to Mr. Whalen, there has been a big push in the federal criminal justice system to crack down on crimes related to the use of computers, or “cyber crimes.” As more and more crimes and terrorist attacks are committed online and through the use of computers,  the federal government is devoting resources to combat cyber crimes and hiring agents that are able to ethically hack computers.

Mr. Whalen also reminds listeners that it is a serious and sometimes felony offense to log in to an email, Facebook, or other account that doesn’t belong to you. Even if your intention is to play a prank or satisfy your curiosity, signing into someone else’s private account is a violation of a criminal statute and may result in harsh penalties. It’s particularly important to be aware of this as law enforcers begin to come down harder on cyber crimes.

Recording police interrogations. Next, Mr. Whalen delved into a recently proposed bill that could require law enforcement officials to record interrogations of people accused of serious crimes. According to Mr. Whalen, if the bill passes, it could provide added protection for both defendants and officers. The defendants would be protected from aggressive interrogation tactics, while officers would be protected from being accused of procuring illegitimate confessions through coercion.

From a criminal defense lawyer’s perspective, recorded confessions would be an invaluable tool in court, since it would allow juries and judges to witness how questions were asked and answered firsthand. As Mr. Whalen reminds us, “seeing is believing.”

Prescription drug abuse. Mr. Whalen also spoke about our nation’s growing prescription drug abuse problem. He reminded listeners that forging prescriptions and visiting multiple doctors to obtain many different prescriptions are both criminal offenses. Mr. Whalen went on to discuss a recent proposal in Texas that would require doctors to record patients in online databases in an effort to track and prevent prescription abuse.

Remember, while Mr. Whalen’s radio appearances are a wonderful resource, they are not a substitute for legal advice. If you have been charged with a state or federal crime, call a Frisco criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. As a seasoned and skilled attorney, Mr. Whalen can help you understand your options, determine the best possible defense strategy for your unique case, and aggressively defend your rights in court.