When considering whether you need a criminal defense attorney, it’s critical to consider the charges you’re facing and the evidence against you. If you face misdemeanor or felony criminal charges, a conviction could result in various consequences, including fines, jail time, and a loss of reputation.

You certainly have the right to plead guilty to your charges without having an attorney present. If you simply want to end the case as quickly as possible, pleading guilty will speed things along. However, a criminal defense attorney could build a case to reduce, dismiss, or acquit you of your charges. Your lawyer can start representing you from your first interview with authorities and handle everything from there.

Some Charges May Be More Serious for You Than Others

Determining whether you may want to hire a lawyer specializing in criminal defense will depend on your particular circumstances. For example, if you are facing a misdemeanor in county court, your fines or jail time could be minimal, especially for a first-time offense.

Some people may not want to hire an attorney to defend them against misdemeanors, while others will seek the help of a criminal defense lawyer for every charge they may ever face. It largely depends on the type of charge you may be facing and how it will impact your life.

Having our legal team working on your defense can be especially beneficial if

You Are Innocent

You may believe that the criminal justice system will find you innocent if you truly did not commit the offense, meaning you do not need to hire an attorney to defend you. Ideally, this would be the case every time.

Unfortunately, this is not how the criminal justice system always works. Even if you are innocent, circumstantial evidence and unreliable eyewitness testimony could leave you receiving a guilty verdict in a trial.

Hiring a criminal defense lawyer does not guarantee you will avoid a guilty verdict. Still, our defense lawyers know what it takes to protect your right to be “innocent until proven guilty.”

Your Charges Could Lead to Job Loss

When pleading guilty could lead to a job loss, a lawyer from our firm can fight to protect your livelihood. For example, if you drive for a living and need a clean driving record to be able to keep your job, you may want to hire an attorney to try to protect your record, even for a traffic ticket.

You Already Have a Conviction on a Particular Charge

As shown in the Texas Penal Code, someone facing a repeat offense will have far greater penalties than someone with a first-time charge.

Because of the harsher penalties on the table, you may want to hire a lawyer to defend you against this latest charge, even if you simply pled guilty to the first charge.

Click to contact our attorneys today

(214) 696-9253

You Are Facing a Felony

Felonies are far more serious charges than misdemeanors. With a felony conviction in Texas, you:

• Will no longer have the right to hold public office
• May not be able to work in certain professions where the code of ethics bans convicted felons
• Could lose your right to own a firearm temporarily or permanently, according to the Texas State Law Library

After hiring our law firm to defend you against a felony charge, we may suggest negotiating a plea bargain. This means the prosecutor may reduce your felony charge to a misdemeanor in exchange for a guilty plea to the reduced charge. This is just one of several options our legal team may explore in your case.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

(214) 696-9253

You Want to Seek a Release on Bond

If you have a criminal defense attorney on your side, they can fight to keep you out of jail by posting bond while you await your trial. Our attorneys know how bond hearings work, and we will craft a strategy to convince the court to set your bond as low as possible.

You do Not Want to Rely on a Public Defender

If you qualify, you certainly can allow a public defender to help you with your case. However, these attorneys often have far too many cases to give your case the full attention it deserves. When you hire our team, we will spend the time necessary to set up the best possible defense strategy.

Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg Provides Criminal Defense Services

Not just any attorney can provide adequate criminal defense techniques for their clients. When you are seeking representation, trust that our criminal defense attorneys have extensive knowledge of the legal system in Texas – we can use our successes in past cases to craft the best possible legal defense for you.

Whether you are facing a simple misdemeanor, a serious felony, or any charge in between, Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg are ready to help. Call us today for a free discussion of your case at (214) 696-9253.

Call or text or complete a Free Case Evaluation form

(214) 696-9253

How long a criminal case lasts depends on numerous factors, only some of which you can control. These dynamics could affect the duration of your case:

• The complexity of your case
• How long it takes to investigate and collect evidence
• How the prosecution wants to proceed
• Whether your case goes to trial
• Whether you hire a criminal defense lawyer

What Makes a Case Complicated?

The presence of multiple charges can complicate your case. For example, driving under the influence (DWI) is one charge with a potential set of consequences. However, per TX Penal Code § 49, the district attorney could simultaneously charge you with multiple alcohol-related offenses. Other charges include:

• Driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 in the car
• Driving with an open container of alcohol in the car
• Intoxication assault (i.e., causing “serious bodily injury” in an accident)
• Intoxication manslaughter (i.e., causing a fatal accident)
• Possession or purchase of alcohol (if you are a minor)

Each of these charges comes with a set of possible penalties. Both the prosecutor and your attorney will investigate and negotiate every charge. If the case goes to trial, a jury will have to consider whether you are guilty or not guilty on each count. All of this can make your criminal case last longer.

What Goes Into an Investigation?

If your case is straightforward, the prosecutor and your defense attorney might require less time to build their arguments. During their investigations, they will:

• Interview witnesses and relevant experts
• Examine all pertinent video footage or photographs
• Ask for reports or test results from the police or other authorities
• Request to have old tests redone
• Visit the scene of the alleged crime

The time it takes to accomplish these tasks depends on the availability and willingness of witnesses to testify, how many documents they must sort through, whether requests are filed on time or lost in the system, and more.

Can I Take a Plea?

Accepting a plea deal is just one way of shortening your case. The prosecution may offer a deal to guarantee a conviction or if they have many other cases that they need to clear from their desk.

A plea bargain could benefit you in several ways. First, by agreeing to plead guilty to a lesser charge, you avoid the possibility of suffering under the more onerous penalties associated with the original charge. You would also not have to go through the stress of a trial.

That said, plea deals are not always the best solution. Others include:

• Reducing the charges: Unlike a plea deal, charge reduction does not require you to enter a plea right away. You would still have the chance to argue your case in court; however, you would face a lighter charge with lighter penalties.
• Asking for a dismissal: If there is evidence of prosecutorial or police error or your lawyer builds an especially compelling case, the judge may agree to dismiss some or all of the charges against you. Either would shorten or end the matter.
• Going to trial: Sometimes, it is not possible to secure a deal that supports your best interests for various reasons. A criminal trial may then prolong your case.

Will My Case Go to Trial?

There is a good chance you will not have to go to trial. A lawyer can shorten your case through pretrial negotiations. However, if no beneficial deals are on the table and your lawyer believes you have a good chance of winning in court, they might suggest that you take your chances with a trial.

A trial can be stressful and even scary, but a criminal defense attorney can guide you through every step. They can ensure that the entire process moves as smoothly as possible by:

• Filing all necessary forms and exhibits on time
• Locating and preparing witnesses to testify
• Questioning witnesses for both sides on the stand
• Delivering oral arguments
• Monitoring the prosecution’s behavior and filing objections if they do something wrong

Click to contact our attorneys today

(214) 696-9253

Why Is Consulting a Lawyer Important?

Law firms know the ins and outs of the legal system. They can use this knowledge to streamline criminal cases and help clients avoid mistakes that could lengthen or negatively affect their case.

Criminal law is often complicated and even intimidating, especially when you know that your future is on the line. However, a criminal defense attorney can work with you to ensure that your case moves as swiftly as possible without sacrificing your rights.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

(214) 696-9253

We Can Represent You From Beginning to End

Regardless of how long a criminal case lasts, the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg stands with our clients every step of the way. Call (214) 696-9253 for a free consultation today. Our entire team is dedicated to helping Texas residents just like you navigate and receive fair treatment from the legal system.

Call or text or complete a Free Case Evaluation form

(214) 696-9253

A criminal defense lawyer can help you in multiple ways, including:

• Fighting to have your charges dropped based on lack of evidence or rights violations
• Seeking a reduction in charges by negotiating with prosecutors for a plea deal
• Defending you in a court trial
• Seeking a reduction in penalties if you receive a conviction

If you face a criminal charge in Texas, the Texas Penal Code shows that those convicted could receive jail time, fines, probation, and other potential penalties. Any of these punishments could significantly alter the direction of your life, leaving you facing an uncertain future. Hiring a defense team can protect you from this fate.

Our Criminal Defense Team Offers Support in Various Ways

Multiple outcomes are possible when you are charged with a crime in Texas. Hiring a criminal defense attorney ensures you have someone fighting on your side for the best possible results.

Our defense team advocates for clients in various types of criminal cases, whether they involve misdemeanor or felony charges. An attorney from our firm will provide the following services throughout your case.

We Will Speak on Your Behalf in and Out of Court

Facing criminal charges can be incredibly challenging. The stress of needing to speak with police and appear in court can leave you feeling like the entire world is against you. Not to mention, statements you make can be used to support the prosecution’s case.

Even if you haven’t been charged yet, our firm is here to offer valuable support. From the moment you are brought in for questioning, one of our attorneys can serve as your representative and protect your rights. We will:

• Assert your rights during police interrogations
• Protect you from saying anything that could incriminate yourself
• Present your case in court

We Can Explain Exactly What You Are Facing

Going through the criminal justice system, especially for the first time, can be confusing and frustrating. However, our team of lawyers knows the ins and outs of Texas law, so you will not have to navigate this process alone.

Our attorneys will be able to break down all of the legal jargon into terminology that you can understand and explain state law as it applies to your case. Then, we will lay out all of the paths we can take to try to defend you against these charges. With this information in hand, we can come up with the best possible defense strategy together.

We Will Fight to Dismantle the Prosecution’s Case

Once we understand the charges against you and the potential penalties you face, our team will begin to think about the prosecution’s case. Our goal is to find weak spots that allow us to undermine their case. By presenting a compelling argument, we could get the charges dropped or acquit you in court. Some approaches we may take include:

• Showing that law enforcement violated your rights before, during, or after your arrest
• Arguing that there is a lack of evidence proving your responsibility for the crime
• Questioning evidence the prosecution has against you, such as breathalyzer test results

Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to negotiate a complete dismissal of your charges before they are even filed. We also may be able to convince prosecutors to drop some of the charges that don’t fit with the facts in the case.

Click to contact our attorneys today

(214) 696-9253

We May Try to Seek a Plea Agreement for You

Sometimes, the facts in the case present a difficult situation, leaving you with a small chance of winning at trial. In a situation like this, we may recommend that you consider a plea agreement, where prosecutors reduce some of the charges against you in exchange for a guilty plea without going to trial.

The biggest benefit of a plea agreement is reducing the penalties you may face. According to the Texas Politics Project, if you plead guilty to a reduced charge for a misdemeanor, you could face jail time for up to one year and a $4,000 fine. Meanwhile, if your original charge was a third-degree felony, you would have faced jail time of 2 to 10 years and a $10,000 fine.

We certainly will seek to have your charges dropped first. However, we will advise if using a plea bargain strategy becomes a far better choice than going to trial against the original charges.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

(214) 696-9253

When You are Facing Criminal Charges, You Have a Right to Hire a Defense Team

If you are facing criminal charges in Texas, consider hiring Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg to defend you. Do not sit back and hope that these charges will disappear on their own or that law enforcement will naturally choose to treat you fairly or give you a break.

Our criminal defense attorneys will fight hard for you and provide aggressive defense strategies on your behalf. Contact us today for a free case review at (214) 696-9253.

Call or text or complete a Free Case Evaluation form

(214) 696-9253