Houston State Crime Lawyer

Common state criminal charges include:

• Homicide/Murder
• Manslaughter
• Assault or aggravated assault
• Kidnapping or aggravated kidnapping
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Theft
• Sex crimes
• Drug possession
• Drug trafficking, distribution or manufacturing

Texas recognizes five levels of felony charges:

• Capital felonies: Punishable by life in prison or the death penalty. These crimes are limited to capital murder and capital felony murder.
• First-degree felony: 5 to 99 years or life in prison. These penalties are most often associated with violent crimes, including homicide, aggravated robbery, arson causing death and attempted murder. However, some crimes against children and high-level drug crimes involving trafficking large amounts of narcotics may also result in first-degree felony charges.
• Second-degree felony: 2 to 20 years in prison. These types of crimes include manslaughter, aggravated assault, robbery and arson.
• Third-degree felony: 2 to 10 years in prison. Indecent exposure to a child, tampering with evidence, certain firearms charges and crimes against persons, including stalking, are included in this category or crime, as well as many drug offenses.
• State jail felony: 180 days to 2 years in jail. This level of offense includes many types of property or theft crimes, including check forgery and theft, and some drug offenses. However, a defendant with a prior criminal record can have such charges upgraded to a third-degree felony.

In additional to incarceration, there are many other consequences of a felony criminal conviction in Texas, including lengthy periods of supervision, drug testing, home searches and other privacy violations, loss of voting rights, loss of the ability to own or carry firearms, job loss, loss of reputation, the inability to hold certain jobs or work in certain professions, and negative consequences involving residency or citizenship applications, including deportation.

Houston State Crime Defense

Defendants under investigation or arrest are always best served by early consultation with an experienced state crime lawyer in Houston. Exercising your right to remain silent is always the best course of action. While attempting to explain or defend yourself to law enforcement can be tempting, it is highly unlikely you will talk your way out of arrest. Investigators are only interested in gathering evidence of your guilt. If they are talking to you, it is likely they do not yet have enough evidence to make an arrest and are hoping your will implicate yourself. Even when you don’t think you are making incriminating statements, what you say to law enforcement may conflict with potential defenses an experienced law firm may have otherwise been able to use on your behalf. Alex Macias is an experienced Houston state crime attorney who represents clients in state and federal court in Houston and the surrounding areas, including Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Pearland, Knogwood, Katy, League City, Stafford, Friendswood, Richmond, Cypress, Clear Lake, Humble and Fulshear.