Criminal Defense Case Results in Austin, TX

Charge

Theft (Felony)

Location

Hays County, 428TH DC

Allegations

Loss prevention detained our client after a store incident where a small item was left unpaid. Despite the low value, the case was filed as a felony based on prior theft history. The client initially accepted blame at the scene, but a companion later submitted a written statement claiming responsibility for the unpaid merchandise. We secured that statement, scrutinized the store's account of events, and emphasized the minimal value and conflicting narratives. Using that leverage, we pushed the prosecutor to reduce the charge and negotiated straight probation.

Charge

Assault - Family Violence

Location

Williamson County, County Court at Law #3

Allegations

A domestic argument that followed a night of drinking escalated when the parties struggled over a household item and our client briefly restrained the complainant. Police arrived, leading to an arrest and a protective order. We documented the client’s immediate entry into treatment, completion of rehab and IOP, regular AA attendance, and obtained strong character letters. We presented this mitigation and the absence of ongoing safety concerns to the prosecutor and pushed for a fair resolution. The state agreed to reduce the charge, and we secured deferred probation on the lesser offense.

Charge

Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Travis County, County Court at Law #8

Allegations

After officers responded to a disturbance and conducted a traffic stop, a handgun was found and the driver was arrested for unlawful carrying. We obtained the offense report and incident affidavit and broke down the officer’s timeline against the elements of the offense. The paperwork left gaps in the basis for the stop and conflicted on when and where the firearm was first observed. We prepared a suppression motion targeting the stop and the search, and put those defects in front of the prosecutor. Confronted with those issues, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Travis County, County Court at Law #8

Allegations

Police stopped our client after a disturbance report involving a firearm and alleged the handgun they found made the client guilty of unlawful carrying of a weapon. We obtained the reports and evidence and scrutinized the basis for the stop and the circumstances of the firearm’s discovery. We challenged the connection between the call and the stop and pressed the state on proof of the UCW elements. After we laid out those evidentiary problems and made clear we were ready to litigate them, the prosecutor dismissed the case.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Travis County, County Court at Law #8

Allegations

Responding to a disturbance call, officers stopped our client after observing erratic driving and made a DWI arrest. We obtained the bodycam and dashcam, examined the basis for the stop, and reviewed every step of the field sobriety process. Our analysis raised serious questions about the testing instructions, conditions, and the accuracy of the report. We prepared a suppression challenge and made clear we would litigate. Confronted with those evidentiary problems, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

Civil Asset Forfeiture

Location

None County, DC407

Allegations

Following an arrest, police towed the client’s vehicle and refused to release it, leaving a wallet and work computer inside. We obtained the seizure paperwork and incident reports, then engaged both the seizing agency and the prosecutor. We pressed for access to personal property and challenged the basis for holding the vehicle. Leveraging those issues, we negotiated a reduction of the related criminal allegation. The court accepted the reduced charge and the forfeiture dispute resolved on terms far better than first proposed.

Charge

Assault - Family Violence

Location

Williamson County, County Court at Law #3

Allegations

Police filed a family violence case after a domestic argument at a residence escalated and the complainant left to a nearby business, where officers later made contact. No written statement was taken at the time, and the arrest came days later. We coordinated a voluntary surrender to avoid a surprise pickup, then obtained and presented an affidavit of non-prosecution and documentation of the client's mental health treatment. We pressed the lack of corroboration and signaled we were ready to litigate. The prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Williamson County, County Court at Law #5

Allegations

After a report of a vehicle hopping a curb near a residence, officers arrived and contacted our client inside. No one actually saw who was driving, and he made no admissions. He refused field tests and breath, and a blood sample was later taken. We pored over the recordings and reports, pieced together the timeline, and showed that the state could not place a driver and that third party statements conflicted. Confronted with those proof problems, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Travis County, CCL7

Allegations

After a single‑vehicle rollover, our client was taken to a hospital and arrested for DWI without any roadside tests. The officer claimed an alcohol odor and found an empty mini bottle near the car. At the hospital, the client offered breath testing, but officers declined and pursued a blood draw, with consent and procedure unclear. We pulled the bodycam, highlighted coherent speech and no mental impairment, and challenged the reliability of post crash sobriety clues. Combined with voluntary classes and service, the state dismissed.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Williamson County, County Court at Law #2

Allegations

Police initiated a traffic stop for a registration issue, then turned it into a DWI investigation. Video showed the client driving normally and remaining polite and coherent. Field sobriety tests were conducted even after the client reported prior ankle injuries and eye issues, and a later station breath test read a little over the legal limit. We pulled the dash and body cam, scrutinized the reason for extending the stop and how the tests were administered, and signaled readiness for trial. The state agreed to deferred adjudication probation, keeping a conviction off the record.

Charge

Assault - Family Violence (Class C)

Location

Bastrop County, Bastrop Municipal Court

Allegations

Police were called after a domestic argument, and the client received a Class C citation alleging a family-violence threat. The case rested almost entirely on the complaining witness’s statement, with no injuries or independent corroboration. After a missed setting, a warrant issued and the client spent a short period in custody. We reviewed the report, challenged the timeline and proof issues, and pressed the prosecutor on the weaknesses. The state agreed to a reduction and to count the client’s time in custody as the sentence, resolving the case as time served.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Williamson County, County Court at Law #5

Allegations

An officer made contact with our client at a roadside scene and noted an odor of alcohol. The client acknowledged having a few drinks earlier, and field sobriety tests were conducted, but there was no breath or blood test. The encounter did not arise from a traffic stop, so the case hinged on video and the officer's observations. We obtained and reviewed the footage and emphasized the limits of coordination tests without scientific corroboration. Using that leverage, we secured a reduction to a lesser offense, and the court accepted a sentence of time served so the client avoided further jail.