A conviction for murder, assault, or another violent crime in Texas will send you to prison for a significant portion of your life. A murder and assault lawyer in Highland Park, TX can protect your legal rights and fight for your future.
Criminal justice attorney Randall Isenberg has over 30 years of experience navigating the Texas criminal justice system, including time spent as a state court judge and chief felony prosecutor. We can put this experience to work for you to fight for the best possible results in your case.
We offer a free consultation, and we will come to you if necessary. Call today at 214-696-9253 for help.
How Texas Law Defines Assault & Murder
The Texas Penal Code (TPC) provides the definitions of assault and murder and establishes the penalties for each of these violent crimes.
Assault
The TPC describes Assaultive Offenses as follows:
- Threatening to physically harm another person
- Causing physical harm to another person
- Provoking another person with the intent to do bodily harm
Under the broad scope of assaultive offenses, the TPC lists the following crimes:
- Simple assault
- Aggravated assault
- Sexual assault
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Injury to a child
- Child endangerment
- Child abandonment
- Harm to a disabled person
- Harm to an elderly person
Prosecutors can tack on aggravating circumstances to any assault charge, increasing the potential penalties you may face upon conviction.
Murder
The TPC defines manslaughter, negligent homicide and murder, identified in the statutes as Criminal Homicide, as follows:
- Causing the death of someone
- Causing the death of someone while intentionally causing them physical harm
- Causing the death of someone while committing or fleeing from a felony
If the prosecutor can demonstrate that you caused the death of another person for money, they can pursue capital murder charges. Likewise, the prosecutor can pursue capital murder charges if the victim was a police officer, firefighter, EMT of another type of first responder, or if the alleged crime involved multiple victims.
Assault Charges Carry Severe Penalties in Highland Park
Even if you face simple assault charges — a Class A misdemeanor — you could spend up to a year in jail and face a $4,000 fine. From that point, the penalties grow more severe.
If the assault involved domestic or family violence, however, you will face third-degree felony charges, punishable by between two and 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. You will also face third-degree felony charges if the victim was a police officer, firefighter, EMT, security guard, a guardian of the family court, or a municipal or state employee.
If the prosecutor elects to tack on aggravating circumstances — for example, if you had a firearm or weapon in your possession at the time of the alleged assault — you could face second-degree felony charges. Upon conviction for a second-degree felony, you will face a prison term of two to 20 years and a $10,000 fine.
A Murder Conviction Could Put You in Prison for Life
Murder in Highland Park is a first-degree felony, punishable by five to 99 years (life) in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The prosecutor can stack on additional charges, if applicable, and the court can impose consecutive sentences upon conviction.
In the case of capital murder, you could face life in prison without parole or even a death sentence.
A Highland Park Murder & Assault Lawyer Will Fight for Your Future
Murder or assault charges can mean a fight for your life, and that is not a battle you should attempt on your own. A murder and assault lawyer will protect your legal rights and dedicate every possible resource to building your case.
Violent crimes charges can be scary but, remember, a charge does not automatically mean a conviction. The prosecutor must meet a high burden of proof to obtain a conviction. That means our legal team can use any potential violation of your constitutional rights or mistake made by the police in your defense.
Some potential defense strategies we will explore for your case include:
- Self-defense
- Defense of others
- Duress
- Necessity
- Insanity
We will gather and analyze the evidence relevant to your case, to identify any potential weaknesses or mistakes made by the police and investigators. Some potential areas of interest are whether the police obtained evidence through an illegal search and seizure or whether investigators mishandled evidence once it was in police custody.
In many cases, Randall can negotiate to have your charges reduced or petition the court to have the case dismissed. Otherwise, we will prepare for trial by building the strongest possible case for your defense.
The Importance of Talking to a Murder & Assault Lawyer Immediately
If the police have opened an investigation but have not yet filed charges, it is imperative that you talk to a Highland Park criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.
If prosecutors are contemplating filing charges against you for murder, manslaughter, assault, or another violent crime, our legal team can quickly mobilize to interview witnesses and obtain evidence that could potentially persuade the prosecutor not to file charges.
Our extensive network of resources includes:
- Investigators
- Forensics experts
- Crime scene reconstruction experts
- Ballistics experts
The sooner you can contact our office, the sooner we can begin working on your case and fighting to clear your name.
Contact Us to Speak to a Murder & Assault Lawyer in Highland Park Today
Randall Isenberg and his team understand the urgency of your situation, and we are standing by to help.
Randall has more than 30 years of experience in the Texas criminal justice system. He is also board certified in criminal defense by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We will put this experience and insight to work on your behalf and work aggressively to build the most robust defense.
We provide a free consultation to discuss your case and to help you understand your options. Call the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg today at 214-696-9253 for help.
