syn - tax noun
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Words matter when it comes to the law. Failure to use an appropriate word or phrase may result in the reversal of a court decision or the invalidation of a law. Words particularly matter when it comes to criminal law because written statutes created by legislatures serve as the foundation of our criminal justice system. The Texas legislature tinkers with the words that make up some of these statutes every two years, and that tinkering affects Texans, Texas courts, and Texas lawyers.
I created this blog for the purpose of publicly examining Texas criminal statutes and their impact on the state. This examination will generally occur in the following ways. First, I'll examine the rules and requirements created by existing criminal law statutes and determine whether Texas jails, trial courts, and appellate courts are complying with those requirements. Second, I'll review and discuss appellate court opinions that interpret statutory language. Third, I'll analyze proposed criminal justice legislation and explore its potential impact.
I hope that this blog will be of interest to the Texas legal community and the general public. I will always welcome comments, questions, and corrections on posts. Thanks for reading. -RD