John Helms

Super Lawyers, an independent rating service of outstanding lawyers, has recently listed John Helms, a Dallas-based criminal defense lawyer, as part of its top tier of attorneys in the White Collar and General Litigation practice areas. Peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors are taken into account in the Super Lawyers selection process. As menti...

"A first conviction for DWI in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor, but it is a serious matter. A DWI conviction costs money in fines and other costs, raises your insurance premiums, and can affect your employment situation. In Texas, by law, you cannot get deferred adjudication for a DWI." John Helms, Dallas DWI Defense Attorney. If you have been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Texas,...

A prominent attorney with a high-rise office in Downtown Dallas has been arrested and charged in a drug money laundering investigation. According to a federal criminal complaint, 51-year-old Ray Jackson was caught in an undercover DEA sting laundering nearly $400,000. The complaint states the DEA started a sting after an opioid dealer they were investigating told them he used Jackson to lau...

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 ...