The drought has cleared out thousands of trees in the Houston area, and the Houston Parks Department asked for volunteers to help bring back the peaceful tranquility that the trees once brought to each park.

Director of Parks and Recreation, Joe Turner, stated, ”Here we’ll be planting approximately 20,000 trees. We won’t cover the freeway up tomorrow, but our goal is, down the road, we will have the freeway covered back up,” Parks & Rec. Director Joe Turner said.

For more information on how to volunteer and donate, visit www.houstonparks.org

On Saturday, Jan 7, the Houston Texans will host the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium at 3:30pm.

The Texan’s defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, could be seen as the glue that keeps this team together.  Phillips, who was ousted from his head coach position for the Dallas Cowboys, relocated to Houston as defensive coordinator for the Texans, and has turned the defense around with picks like cornerback Jonathan Joseph and linebacker Brian Cushing.

For more information about the game, visit www.houstontexans.com

This Saturday on Christmas Eve, Undivided Hearts, a youth ministry organization, will host a gift wrapping event beginning at 8am at Walmart in Houston.  The event is a fundraiser for the youth ministry.  With each donation, wrapping paper, bows, and labels will be provided.  Gifts do not have to be purchased at the store, and they can be dropped off.  A wrapper will contact you when they are complete.

A tent just outside the front door of the store will hold the event.

Undivided Hearts meets weekly on Saturday nights at  7pm at First and Chestnut streets in Houston.  It is a non-denominational ministry, and is targeted for teens.  For more information, visit the Houston Herald website.

In August 2010, Sanchez attended a funeral of a young black man, and noticed a 15 year old black girl, who was the sister of the deceased man.  According to court records, he ”began to send numerous cellphone to cellphone text messages to her and they became extremely seuxally explicit in nature which she thought to be inappropriate.  (The victim) became nervous about the aggressive nature of the text messages and informed her mother who then notified law enforcement.”

Sanchez admitted to sending the messages and posted bail.  While out on bail, Sanchez was charged with indecent exposure after receiving oral sex in a public place.

After being arrested for two separate crimes, he still received two plea bargains and a very lenient sentence.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, contact Houston criminal defense attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. at  713-222-0400.

Denman drove the wrong way in the southbound lanes of a San Antonio street when she hit Amy Meron, 53, head-on.  Meron died at the scene, and witnesses reported that Denman hit a curb several times before hitting Meron and knocking down a light pole.

Denman’s blood-alcohol level was 0.30 at the time of the accident–more than four times the legal limit.

If you or a loved one has been charged with driving under the influence, contact Houston criminal defense attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. at 713-222-0400.

The defendant was on trial for sex crimes with two separate family members between 1995 and 2002.  On Tuesday, the trial moves into the next phase of sentencing.

The trial is being held at Brazos County District Court.

If you have been charged with a sexual offense, it is important to meet with an experienced attorney to discuss your situation and legal options.  Contact Houston sexual assault defense attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. at 713-222-0400 to learn more about how we can help.

In the Houston neighborhood, use of the website between neighbors reduced crime by 80 percent within 10 weeks.  Police say that people looking to commit theft or home invasion crimes have become deterred from neighborhoods that they know are using the website.

The website is a part of an effort titled “National Night Out,” which aims to reduce neighborhood crime.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a crime in Houston, contact the Houston criminal defense lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. at 713-222-0400 to discuss your situation with one of our defense attorneys today.

The 45-year old man was a suspect in the 1992 murder of a family of 2 women and 4 children.  Another suspect informed police that had worked with the other man in the crime.

However, the man maintained that he was innocent and that he was at his house in Brenham with a family member when the crime occurred.  In 2000, the other suspect admitted that the 45-year old man was not involved in the crime.

The man was released from Burleson County Jail in October after his attorney filed a motion to have the charges dismissed.

If you or someone you know is seeking experienced legal representation to defend them against a criminal charge, contact the Houston criminal defense lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. at 713-222-0400 today.

Ellis has created what he calls an “Innocence Protection Package.”  The package includes four bills aimed at criminal defense and reducing wrongful convictions.  The bills include changes like consistent and uniform procedures for eyewitness identifications, streamlining the DNA appeal process, reorganizing the state’s indigent defense task force and recording suspects of serious felonies’ interrogations.

According to officials from the Innocence Project of Texas, many counties do not have any type of consistent or uniform procedures regarding eyewitness identification, interrogations or DNA appeals.  In addition, they say incorrect eyewitness identification convicted 85 percent of exonerated persons in the state.

Contact the Houston criminal defense lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer P.C. at 713-222-0400 if you or someone you know has been wrongly accused of committing a crime in Texas.

Texas has had the highest number of inmates released on DNA evidence.  Dupree spent the longest amount of time in prison of any of the Texas inmates that had been exonerated with DNA testing.  In Texas, inmates like Dupree that are wrongly convicted are eligible to receive a lifetime annuity through the Texas Compensation Law for wrongly imprisoned persons.  In addition, Dupree will receive a $2.4 million non-taxable lump sum.

If you have been wrongly accused of committing a crime it is very important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney so you do not receive any unmerited punishments.  Contact the Houston criminal defense lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer at 713-222-0400 today to learn more about your rights.