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2 Answers | Asked in Civil Rights, Criminal Law and Traffic Tickets for Texas on
Q: Was it legal for a Texas officer to pull me over and search my car without consent after speeding to pass a semi, resulting in my arrest?

While traveling through Texas on my way back to Florida, I was using cruise control at 76 mph. I sped up to 81 mph to pass a semi-truck that accelerated when I attempted to pass it. After passing, I slowed down and returned to the speed limit. Shortly afterward, a police officer who had observed... View More

Doug  O'Connell
Doug O'Connell
answered on Apr 30, 2025

Unfortunately, it sounds like the law enforcement officer acted within the law. You were legally pulled over for speeding. The officer has the authority in Texas to ask you to step out of the car while they conduct an investigation. The search by the drug sniffing dog is also legal since we have... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Criminal Law and Civil Rights for Texas on
Q: Can I face legal trouble if a friend threatens a harassment report after texting to defend my character?

I have a situation where a friend, after not speaking to me for several days, threatened to file a harassment report against me. This threat came after I sent multiple texts defending my character. We have had no prior legal issues. Could I potentially face legal trouble for these actions?

Doug  O'Connell
Doug O'Connell
answered on Apr 30, 2025

The answer to your question will depend on the content of your text messages, and possibly the amount of text messages sent to your friend. If the messages were threatening you could face legal challenges. Likewise, if the tone, language used and number of messages rise to the level of... View More

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