Criminal Defense Attorney in The Woodlands, Texas - How do I pick a lawyer?

When you're looking for a Criminal Defense Attorney or Criminal Defense Lawyer in the Woodlands, Texas what should you be thinking about?

Well the first thing to consider is how the Woodlands itself is situated on the border of Montgomery and Harris County. Many people who live in the Woodlands, Texas commute down to Harris County for work and may enter into the City of Houston. Each of these places has their own police and their own jail. If you get a possession of marijuana charge in Harris County it is going to be a totally different experience from Montgomery County. The same is true for DWI. While Harris County is generally perceived to be softer on crime than Montgomery County it can take much longer to handle your case and reach an outcome agreeable to you and your priorities in Harris County rather than Montgomery County.

Whichever county you have been arrested in, you will want to make sure your lawyer has experience handling cases in that particular county. Why? Because although the same criminal laws govern the entire state each county enforces them differently and within a county different Judges are likely to reach different conclusions about evidentiary decisions or basic procedure in dealing with a case. How many times and how frequently will you have to go to court? That too depends on the Judge and the County. A lawyer with experience in the county where you were arrested can help your case end up being resolved faster. That experience can also tell your lawyer what is a good deal and if the offer from the Prosecutor to the client is in fact a good offer and worth taking. If you can't reach an agreement with the State for a dismissal or some other outcome that meets your goals then you may have to go to trial. Finding a lawyer that isn't afraid to go to trial in the county that you were arrested needs to be a huge priority.

What do I do if I was arrested for Family Violence in the Woodlands, Texas? In Montgomery County Criminal Defense Attorneys know that a protective order is likely to have been filed against you by the District Attorney's office. Your case may have even been transferred to the Domestic Violence division of the Montgomery County, District Attorney's Office. This is a specialized division consisting of two prosecutors that handle only Assault Family Member of Domestic Violence related cases. This could include, Interference with 911 call, Deadly Conduct, Assault Class C (offensive contact) or Terroristic Threat Family Member.

Can I take a deferred adjudication probation on a family violence case and get the case dismissed? While it is true that at the successful completion of a deferred adjudication the case is "dismissed," if the offense was for Assault Family Member then it can never be sealed with a petition for non-disclosure. This means that the district attorney's office can still see you plead guilty years in the future. A district attorney could also use a prior plea of guilty where the case has been subsequently dismissed due to the completion of deferred adjudication and enhance a new Assault Family Member case from a Class A misdemeanor to a third degree felony. This means that if you have plead guilty to Assault Family Member and been charged a second time, you could be facing 2-10 years in prison.

The Woodlands is a wonderful place to raise a family but it isn't immune from facing the scrutiny of the government for charges like DWI, Assault Family Member, and other criminal offenses which are reported to police every day.

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