San Antonio Legal Blog

Medicare and Medicaid fraud continue to be serious crimes in Texas. They represent not only a drain on federal and state monetary resources, but are also a corrupting influence on others who would like to find a way to make some quick money.  Recently, a federal task force targeted over 590 suspects, including at least 150 from the medical profession. This nationwide Medicare fraud takedown is touted to be the largest healthcare fraud enforcement dragnet in American history. As such, criminal defense attorneys are gearing up to provide necessary defense services to the accused persons.

The FBI in Houston recently arrested 12 people for health care fraud as part of the effort. Medicare theft is a particularly heinous crime because those who are entitled to receive Medicare paid for it during the course of many years of employment. Benefits are often fraudulently confiscated by unscrupulous medical providers who are more interested in monetary possession over the merits of professional health care. Health care providers who participate in these schemes will also bill the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary services or services that were not provided.

Whenever a search warrant is involved in a police investigation and arrest in Texas, criminal defense counsel must be vigilant from the outset to closely examine all aspects of the alleged determination of probable cause. Every citizen is assured the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure tactics by the police. This often comes up as an issue when the search and seizure relates to an arrest on drug charges.

The San Angelo Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations department recently announced the arrest of a 49-year-old male for possession of methamphetamine in his home. The law enforcement authorities allege that they obtained a search warrant from a justice of the peace. They reportedly executed it on the afternoon of June 11.

Texas has numerous highways that have only two or three lanes for all traffic going in both directions. The potential for death and personal injury on these roadways is substantial due to the tendency of some drivers to pass when passing is unsafe. Passing should only be attempted when a driver is absolutely certain that no traffic is coming in the other direction. It should not be attempted where the view ahead is limited due to curves or hills that restrict the scope of a driver's sight. 

Critically, the driver should obey all signs and not attempt to pass in a zone that is marked as a no-passing zone. Despite what may appear to be a safe view ahead, a driver should use an excess of caution in venturing to pass a slower vehicle. When drivers don't follow excessive caution or when they outright violate the posted rules, the chances for tragic consequences are greatly increased.

If you're on probation, you know that you have to do everything you can to abide by the law. If you violate the terms of probation, you could end up back in court and be sent to jail, fined or face other penalties.

The reality is that your freedom is at stake as a probationer, so violating probation is a major risk. Still, the court won't automatically revoke probation without just cause, and you will get a chance to explain yourself and the situation. For example, if you're supposed to stay within the state but your son or daughter was hospitalized just outside the state lines, it may be reasonable that you violated the terms of your probation, at least for a short time.