Criminal Defense Case Results in Harris, TX

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DWI - First Offense

Location

Harris County, CC1

Allegations

After a late-night stop for speeding with a passenger in the car, the client was questioned about drinking, performed roadside tests, and was arrested. Officers searched the vehicle without consent and found nothing. At the station, the breath machine malfunctioned, requiring another attempt, and no result was disclosed. We obtained the videos and breath-testing records, highlighting the equipment issue, the rushed roadside evaluation, and the lack of consent for the search. Confronted with these problems, the prosecution dismissed the case.

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Theft (State Jail Felony)

Location

Harris County, 488th DC

Allegations

Officers detained our client after units had been following a vehicle and claimed jewelry recovered from the car tied the client to a recent theft. We demanded full discovery, including bodycam and dashcam from the arresting officers, and highlighted that those recordings were missing. We also secured a witness prepared to testify the items were lawfully purchased that day, undercutting the state’s theory of possession of stolen property. With no direct identification and gaps in proof of ownership and value, the prosecution dismissed the case.

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Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Location

Harris County, 482nd DC

Allegations

According to reports, a dispute at a repair shop escalated when the client displayed a pocketknife and employees said they felt threatened. No one was injured and the event was not captured on usable video. We obtained the reports and identifications, then built mitigation with treatment records for alcohol use, documented mental health diagnoses, and a lack of violent history. We communicated progress to the prosecutor and pressed the weaknesses in corroboration. The state offered deferred probation, avoiding a felony conviction while the client continues treatment.

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Injury to a Disabled Individual

Location

Harris County, 179th DC

Allegations

The case arose from a store incident where our client intervened after a youth confronted and struck the client’s child. A brief fight followed, security separated everyone, and police later alleged the client caused injury to a disabled individual. We secured surveillance and cellphone video, multiple police reports, and medical records for the child. We emphasized that the complainant initiated the violence, highlighted conflicting accounts, and framed our client’s actions as defensive. While prepared to try the case, we pressed these points in negotiations. The case resolved with deferred probation.

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Discharge of a Firearm

Location

Harris County, 185th DC

Allegations

Police were dispatched after reports of shots in a residential parking lot. Responding officers later located a firearm inside a parked vehicle and collected a few spent casings, but there were no injuries or property damage and no indication anyone was targeted. We obtained and reviewed bodycam, the 911 audio, and evidence logs, highlighting gaps about who actually witnessed the discharge and the timeline from report to contact. With the firearm secured on arrival and no testing suggesting impairment, we leveraged those issues to negotiate deferred probation.

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Assault on a Peace Officer

Location

Harris County, 185th DC

Allegations

Officers responded to a shots-fired call, saw a firearm in a parked car associated with the residence, and knocked on the door. The individual declined to step outside, and when an officer stepped in and pulled him out, a brief struggle followed. Police alleged he struck an officer, but the bodycam we obtained showed no clear punch and cut off during the scuffle, while another officer only displayed a Taser. We raised issues with the entry and the strength of the proof, leveraging the gaps in the video and reports. The case resolved with deferred probation and program requirements, keeping a conviction off the record if completed.

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DWI - First Offense

Location

Harris County, CCC5

Allegations

Officers responded to a minor single vehicle crash. The client cooperated, completed field sobriety tests, and later provided a breath sample at the station. We reviewed the dash and body camera video, which showed strong balance and coordination and even uncertainty from the officers about impairment. The breath test was taken long after driving and registered only slightly above the legal limit, undermining its value. We presented those weaknesses and made clear we were ready to litigate. The state dismissed the case.

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Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Harris County, CC1

Allegations

Stopped for an expired plate while driving a recently acquired vehicle, the client was detained after an officer claimed to smell marijuana. Without consent, the officer searched the car, reporting a handgun and only trace marijuana. We dug into the body camera and discovery, challenged the basis for the stop and search, and highlighted proof issues, including car ownership and whether there was a usable amount. Rather than litigate a suppression challenge, the state agreed to an alternative resolution. After a gun safety class and forfeiture of the firearm, the case was dismissed.

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DWI - Third Offense

Location

Harris County, 262nd Criminal Court

Allegations

After a traffic stop for drifting within a lane, the client was arrested for a third DWI. They declined breath testing and a blood sample was later taken by warrant. We obtained the dash and body-cam video, showing officers wavering on whether clear signs of intoxication existed and noting problems with how field tests were instructed and performed. We then attacked the blood work, scrutinizing the warrant, draw procedure, and the lab’s maintenance and calibration records. Using those weaknesses, plus testimony from the license hearing, we pressed the state to reduce the case to a lower level offense with straight probation, avoiding a felony conviction.

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Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Harris County, County Criminal Court at Law No. 4

Allegations

Following a traffic stop, our client told the officer there was a firearm secured in the glove box. The officer searched the vehicle and recovered it, leading to an unlawful carrying charge. We challenged the basis for the stop and the scope of the search, noting the weapon was stored out of immediate reach and that there was no body camera audio to confirm key instructions. We reviewed the dash video and documented gaps in the evidence. After sustained pressure and suppression arguments, the prosecution dismissed the case.

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Civil Asset Forfeiture - Vehicle Seizure

Location

Harris County, 189th District Court

Allegations

After a highway stop where officers alleged street racing, the client’s car was seized and a civil forfeiture suit was filed. We obtained the seizure file, requested the dash and body camera footage, and reviewed the property inventory. We pressed the State on the lack of a solid nexus between the allegation and forfeiture, and raised proportionality concerns under the excessive fines clause. Confronted with these evidentiary and constitutional issues, the State dismissed the forfeiture action.

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Failure to Stop and Render Aid Involving Injury

Location

Harris County, 262nd DC

Allegations

After a rear-end collision, the client panicked and tried to leave, contacting another vehicle a short distance later. Officers arrived quickly and found the client outside the car. A felony charge followed, alleging failure to stop and render aid with injury. We pulled body-cam, reports, and dispatch logs to reconstruct the brief timeline between the two impacts. We challenged the state’s ability to prove an intentional failure to stop or render aid. Faced with those proof issues, the prosecution dismissed the case.