John Helms

John Helms a Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Explains Restitution.  Will I Have to Pay Restitution in My Criminal Case? In some criminal cases, the judge may order the offender to pay restitution to the victim of the crime. This is a payment of money to compensate the victim for the victim’s financial losses that the crime caused. If you’re concerned about being ordered to pay restitut...

Why You Should Never Try to Bargain With the Police The police rely on numerous strategies to get people to admit when they’ve committed a crime. If you’re stopped by the police, it’s absolutely critical to know your rights. When people are uninformed about their legal rights, they can end up admitting things that could hurt their case later on. In the worst cases, people even confess to ...

According to research eyewitness testimony isn’t all that reliable, you’ve probably seen a number of dramatic cinematic moments where an eyewitness takes the stand and then dramatically points at the defendant, claiming they saw the person carry out a serious crime. While this might make for a compelling film, research shows that eyewitness testimony in the real world isn’t as reliable as yo...

Drug Trafficking Cases In many drug trafficking cases a person who is part of the drug trafficking organization may try to get away from law enforcement when they come to serve a search warrant or an arrest warrant, or in many other circumstances. If that person flees law enforcement and creates a significant danger to others during flight, can one or more other members of the organizatio...

WHAT WILL A BIDEN PRESIDENCY MEAN FOR THE FEDERAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM Now that Joe Biden has won the Presidential election, it is important for all those interested in federal law enforcement and federal criminal justice to consider how a Biden presidency might affect the landscape. As a long-time former federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Texas and Dallas criminal defense la...

For many people, the legal terminology involved in a criminal case can be confusing or overwhelming. When your freedom is at stake, you might feel frustrated by an unfamiliar process and all the new words and phrases that go along with it.  One area that can spark confusion is the difference between being acquitted of a crime and filing an appeal after a conviction. Navigating the criminal...

Do Police Have to Knock and Announce Themselves Before Entering a Home? In most situations, even if the police have a search warrant, they should knock and announce their presence and wait a reasonable amount of time before entering a home.  This is called the knock-and-announce rule. It is supposed to give the resident enough time to respond to the police presence. Serving warrants in this ...

The summer months are a time when most people enjoy being on summer break from school and planning vacations from work to relax with friends or family members.  But did you know that warmer temperatures could bring a spike in certain kinds of criminal activity? According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), there are specific crimes that see an increase over the summer. Stay safe this...

We are excited to announce the launch of the new website, johnhelms.attorney.  Our team has created a design that favors both desktop and mobile modern user experience. It is easy to navigate and provides in-depth content for the user searching to hire the right criminal defense lawyer for Texas state criminal defense, federal criminal defense, and state and federal criminal appeals.  The web...

As a growing number of people around the country have gathered to protest police brutality, some individuals have been charged with damaging property or looting. In a handful of cases, high-profile people like YouTuber and influencer Jake Paul have been charged with crimes in connection with this type of behavior.  Under Texas law, looting and the destruction of property can be charged as cr...