What the Supreme Court’s Decision Does to Texas Marijuana Laws

austin-criminal-attorneyTexas marijuana lawyers like James Gill will tell you that the Supreme Court has been very active recently, and not just because it has that vacant seat that is so heavily discussed in the news right now. They made a significant decision on March 21 regarding marijuana law in Colorado that may have long-term implications. At some future date, if Texas marijuana laws are loosened or abolished, historians and legal scholars may point at this decision as the first step toward legalization.Continue reading “What the Supreme Court’s Decision Does to Texas Marijuana Laws”

My Life with Barry Cooper: Never Get Busted

by James Gill

Barry Cooper of KopBustersDescribed by The Progressive as “the strangest, most brazen activist America has seen in decades, Barry Cooper was one of the top U.S. narcotics officers until he reconsidered and became an anti-drug-war authority. His story has garnered coverage in such diverse outlets as Fox News, NPR, CNN, MSNBC and The Texas Observer. He is a client of the Law Office of James Gill.

Sometime in early 2004 I was flipping through the latest issue of Playboy and happened to come across a news blurb on a man by the name of Barry Cooper. I had never heard of him nor could I have ever expected that one day he would become my client and good friend.Continue reading “My Life with Barry Cooper: Never Get Busted”

Airport Arrest? Criminal Lawyer Weighs in On Airport Gun Laws

Airport Security Scans Catch Careless Travelers

Fox 7 recently interviewed our criminal law expert, James Gill, about the hazard of carelessly trying to fly with a weapon in your carryon luggage. As you can see in the Fox 7 story, it’s not just guns but also brass knuckles, knives, and batons that can and will get you arrested and in deep legal trouble when you try to fly.Continue reading “Airport Arrest? Criminal Lawyer Weighs in On Airport Gun Laws”

Texas is on the Front Line of the Drug War

Many people have read or heard about the violence in Mexico’s drug war but little is reported about the violence and or effects on American citizens.  Recently, a 16 year old girl from South Texas was caught with more than 50 pounds of cocaine.  The street value could up to a million dollars depending on how pure it was and how many times it would be cut up before resale.   So how does this happen?   Many scenarios exist but probably something as simple as she knew a guy who sold cocaine in South Texas and he said she could make some “easy money” if she wanted to.Continue reading “Texas is on the Front Line of the Drug War”

Austin Lawyer James Gill at the Texas District & County Clerk’s Clerk College

The staff of the Law Office of James Gill is pleased to present this video of James co-conducting a seminar with fellow Austin lawyer Ward Davison earlier this month. The event was the 13th Annual Clerk College, held by the Texas District Court Alliance, and the topic of the day was Expunctions and Orders of Non-Disclosure.

Continue reading “Austin Lawyer James Gill at the Texas District & County Clerk’s Clerk College”

Gill Client Barry Cooper Is “The Strangest, Most Brazen Activist”

Barry Cooper of KopBustersThe Progressive has published an article that recounts the tale of iconoclast and former narcotics officer Barry Cooper, calling him “the strangest, most brazen activist America has seen in decades.”Continue reading “Gill Client Barry Cooper Is “The Strangest, Most Brazen Activist””

Anti-Drugwar Activist Barry Cooper Turns Himself In

Austin criminal lawyer James Gill is presenting this video of KopBusters’ Barry Cooper surrendering himself to the Texas Rangers at the Texas State Capitol on July 2, 2010.

Cooper is a client of Gill’s criminal defense law firm and a legendary figure in the anti-drugwar movement. His exposure to the drug war began with the Gladewater Police Department and the West Texas Drug Taskforce, where his supervisor is quoted as saying he was “probably the best narcotics officer in the state and maybe the country.”Continue reading “Anti-Drugwar Activist Barry Cooper Turns Himself In”

Drug Dog False Alert Video Now Available

Austin criminal lawyer James Gill has released this video of a false alert that occurred during a client’s traffic stop in Williamson County. (Note: this arrest video was filmed by the patrolman’s dashboard camera and has no sound.)Continue reading “Drug Dog False Alert Video Now Available”