Mistrial Obtained in Capital Murder Case for Client of Round Rock Attorney Ryan H. Deck

ROUND ROCK, Texas - May 8, 2014 - PRLog -- Round Rock Criminal Defense Attorney Ryan H. Deck was recently able to obtain a mistrial in the capital murder case of Crispin Harmel, whom the lawyer is representing. According to an American-Statesman article, a state district judge granted Attorney Deck’s motion for a mistrial after it was determined that the defense would not be able to have its case tried fairly due to the fact that prosecutors failed to disclose certain evidence to the defense attorneys. Mr. Harmel will now have a new trial scheduled. The American-Statesman reported on the mistrial in a May 7, 2014 article titled “Judge declares mistrial in Williamson County capital murder case.”

According to the American-Statesman, a key component of Crispin Harmel’s defense was video surveillance that was being used as trial evidence. As noted in the news story, prosecutors had discovered a new software system over the weekend that allowed them to place timestamps on that video footage. The problem was that they did not hand the time-stamped video over to the defense before using it in court on Tuesday, May 6. In response, Attorney Deck filed a motion for a mistrial on May 7, which is the same day that the mistrial was granted.

The American-Statesman reported that the video showed the victim’s car coming back to a parking lot in the early hours of the morning on Sept. 7, 2009. This is the parking lot where the victim’s body was found in her vehicle. Mr. Harmel’s defense lawyers had previously used the video to determine that the defendant had parted ways with the victim about an hour prior to her car arriving in the parking lot. The prosecutors used the new timestamps on the video to state that the defendant instead parted ways with the victim just minutes after her car entered the lot. Attorney Deck told the American-Statesman that he did not believe that the prosecutors’ actions were “underhanded,” but he did note that the defense should have had access to the new evidence before the start of the trial.

Attorney Deck is a Rock Round criminal defense lawyer who also draws from valuable experience as a Montgomery County, Texas prosecutor. His experience of handling hundreds of criminal cases as a prosecuting attorney has helped to sharpen his skills in the craft of criminal defense.

The Law Offices of Ryan H. Deck accepts a full range of criminal defense cases. Attorney Deck is able to provide effective legal representation for clients who are facing charges for crimes as minor as shoplifting or as serious as capital murder. The law firm also handles expunctions and criminal appeals. For more information about The Law Offices of Ryan H. Deck, visit www.roundrockcriminaldefenselawyer.com/.