Criminal Defense Case Results in Ellis, TX

Charge

Possession of a Controlled Substance (Third-Degree Felony)

Location

Ellis County, 443RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

Allegations

Following a traffic stop for slow driving, officers reported smelling marijuana and conducted a vehicle search. Pills were found in the client’s bag and the state alleged they were a Penalty Group 1 substance. We obtained and reviewed the dash and body camera footage, police reports, and the lab results. Our team challenged the justification for the stop and the scope of the search, and pressed the state on pill identification, lab methodology, and chain of custody. Leveraging these issues, we negotiated deferred probation, avoiding a felony conviction if terms are completed.

Charge

Possession of a Controlled Substance (Penalty Group 3, Under 28 Grams)

Location

Ellis County, COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO 3

Allegations

After a traffic stop for slow driving, officers said they smelled marijuana. Consent to search was not given, but they removed the occupants and searched the vehicle. They found a few rolled joints in a door pocket and several pills in the client’s bag, leading to a misdemeanor PG3 possession charge. We obtained the reports and all video, dissected the basis and scope of the search, and challenged the link between the pills and our client. Faced with these issues, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

Felony Motion to Revoke Probation

Location

Ellis County, 443RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

Allegations

The client was on felony probation for a drug possession case when a warrant issued to revoke supervision after positive drug tests while supervised out of state. Fearing an out-of-state arrest hold, we advised a voluntary surrender in the charging jurisdiction and coordinated it, filed our appearance, and pushed for a bond. We engaged the prosecutor with proof of current treatment, recent clean tests, and a plan to satisfy outstanding financial obligations. After continued negotiations, the state withdrew the revocation and the court closed the matter.

Charge

Tampering with Physical Evidence

Location

Ellis County, 443RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

Allegations

A traffic stop for an equipment violation culminated in a tampering accusation after the officer reported that the driver said he swallowed drugs, and a torn baggie with only trace residue was recovered. We pulled the video and compared it to the narrative, flagging inconsistencies about the stated reason for the stop and the length of the detention, along with the minimal physical evidence. We pressed these issues in negotiations to avoid prison exposure. The result was straight probation on the tampering charge.

Charge

Possession of a Controlled Substance (Felony)

Location

Ellis County, 443RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

Allegations

After a traffic stop for a missing front plate, officers removed the occupants and expanded the encounter into a vehicle search, ultimately finding a torn baggie with a single speck that field testing largely consumed. We pulled the dashcam and compared it to the report, noting gaps in the officer’s timeline and the prolonged detention before any drug-related basis emerged. The lab later reported only trace amounts. We pressed the weaknesses in the search and the sufficiency of the residue-based evidence. The prosecution dismissed the possession case.

Charge

Abuse of a Corpse

Location

Ellis County, COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO 3

Allegations

The client was accused of defacing a gravesite during an ongoing dispute with peers. We obtained the report from a prior incident in which the client's home was vandalized with similar language, and collected screenshots of social media posts showing ongoing taunts and threats. We presented this context to the prosecutor, explaining how it complicated the state's narrative and raised concerns about fairness and proof. After sustained negotiations and review of our materials, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Deadly Conduct (Felony)

Location

Ellis County, 443RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

Allegations

The case stemmed from an allegation that shots were fired toward a residence during a heated dispute. After reviewing the reports and the client’s statements, we anticipated the state would rely heavily on those admissions. We gathered mitigation, including documented social media threats directed at the client, prior vandalism of the client’s home, and video showing a rival pointing a gun at the client on a separate occasion. We presented that context and a plan for counseling and compliance. The prosecution offered deferred probation.

Charge

Misdemeanor Motion to Revoke Probation

Location

Ellis County, COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO 3

Allegations

The client was jailed on a probation revocation warrant after supervision alleged she missed required classes and payments. By the time of the arrest she had already completed the programs, with only a small balance remaining. We moved immediately, filed to get a hearing, pulled the revocation packet, and contacted probation to verify completion certificates. We presented those records to the prosecutor and pressed for reinstatement rather than punishment. The state dismissed the motion to revoke, and the client was released.

Charge

Assault - Family Violence

Location

Ellis County, COUNTY COURT AT LAW NO 3

Allegations

Police responded to a domestic dispute at a residence. Based on the complainant's initial account and photos of minor injuries, the client was arrested. We secured the 911 calls, body and dash camera footage, and scene photos, which documented broken candle and vase debris and supported that objects were thrown first. We contrasted those facts with shifting statements from the complainant and noted a reluctance to participate. After we presented this and made clear we were ready for trial, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

Possession of a Controlled Substance (Felony)

Location

Ellis County, None

Allegations

During a highway stop for a minor registration issue, officers shifted from giving a warning to asking for consent to search the client's vehicle. The client agreed, and officers reported finding a THC vape cartridge, which they used to file a felony possession case. We obtained the police reports and case evidence and broke down the basis for the stop, the request for consent, and the scope of the search. We challenged the escalation from a traffic warning to a drug investigation and flagged problems with how the item was seized and recorded. Facing those suppression issues, the state dismissed the case.

Charge

Possession of Marijuana

Location

Ellis County, None

Allegations

During a traffic stop for a minor registration issue, officers asked to search the vehicle. The driver consented, and a small amount of marijuana was found. We obtained the police reports, broke down the timeline of the stop, and challenged the extension from a warning to a consent search. We also questioned the voluntariness and scope of the consent and the state's ability to prove knowing possession. After presenting these problems to the prosecutor, the case was dismissed.

Charge

Assault - Family Violence (Class C)

Location

Ellis County, Midlothian Municipal Court

Allegations

After a tense family gathering at a residence, a verbal dispute escalated and our client briefly made non-injury contact with a relative. No arrest occurred that night, and a Class C citation was later issued based on statements taken afterward. We gathered the police reports, emphasized the minor nature of the contact, the lack of injury, and the after-the-fact investigation, and presented mitigating context. The client also completed a short counseling course at our direction. The prosecutor dismissed the case.