Criminal Defense Case Results in Houston, TX

Charge

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.

Charge

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.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Montgomery County, CCL5

Allegations

After a single vehicle crash, the client was arrested for DWI following field tests and a refusal of breath testing. Officers obtained a blood warrant, but the first draw at the jail failed and a second was taken hours later at a hospital. The on scene body camera was missing, and the report conflicted with what was said about the client’s performance on the tests. We challenged the reliability and timing of the blood evidence and highlighted gaps in the state’s proof. Facing those problems, the prosecution agreed to reduce the charge and accept a time served sentence.

Charge

Possession of a Fictitious or Fraudulent ID

Location

Fort Bend County, County Court at Law 4

Allegations

After a neighborhood trespass complaint, officers detained our client while walking home. During booking, a wallet search uncovered a fake ID, and the client made statements on camera about it. We obtained the reports and body camera video, examined Miranda and the custodial process, and highlighted inconsistencies in the trespass allegation. We pushed the state to dismiss trespass and to treat the ID case as the proper misdemeanor rather than the initial felony flag. The prosecution agreed, and we finalized a reduction with credit for time served, avoiding probation, fines, and community service.

Charge

Criminal Trespass (Misdemeanor)

Location

Fort Bend County, County Court at Law 4

Allegations

After a night out, our client and a friend walked from a nearby store, took a wrong turn, and ended up in a residential area. A homeowner reported two people near her car and officers stopped our client at the neighborhood entrance, then filed a criminal trespass case. We obtained the reports and video, mapped the timeline, and compared the complainant’s statements with the officers’ narratives. The accounts conflicted and there was no clear evidence of any notice to leave or restricted area. We presented those problems to the prosecution, and the case was dismissed.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Brazoria County, County Court at Law #4

Allegations

Officers stopped the client after a 911 tip about a silver SUV. The caller never gave a plate, changed descriptors, and dispatch appeared to supply locations, and there was no video of the alleged traffic infraction. The client cooperated and chose a blood test that later showed a moderate BAC. We obtained the recordings and reports, challenged the thin link between the tip and the stop, and pressed the State on the missing stop video. With that leverage, we negotiated deferred probation with limited interlock and reduced terms, keeping a conviction off the record.

Charge

DWI - Third Offense

Location

Montgomery County, 435th DC

Allegations

After a rear-end collision, the client was arrested for a third DWI. They admitted to drinking a few beers and performed roadside sobriety tests, then were taken to a hospital due to airbag deployment. No blood was drawn and no station breath test was administered. We secured discovery, scrutinized the roadside testing in light of the crash, and challenged how prior cases were being used for enhancement. Leveraging those issues, we negotiated straight probation and kept the client out of prison.

Charge

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.

Charge

Assault on a Peace Officer

Location

Fort Bend County, 502nd District Court

Allegations

Officers responded to a disturbance at a residence where the client had been drinking. After he opened the door, they moved to detain him and placed him in handcuffs inside the home. While being escorted outside, an officer fell and the client was accused of assaulting a peace officer. We got involved early, demanded the evidence, and documented that any contact occurred after he was cuffed and in the officers’ control. We pressed the state on whether they could prove intentional or knowing contact and causation of injury. Faced with those proof problems, the prosecution dismissed the case.

Charge

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.

Charge

Evading Arrest or Detention With Prior Convictions (State Jail Felony)

Location

Brazoria County, 149th District Court

Allegations

The case began after officers tried to stop a car leaving a shopping area. The driver took off, later jumped out, and our client moved into the driver’s seat and drove a short distance before stopping. She was arrested for evading in a vehicle, and the State sought an enhancement based on older convictions. We pressed for dash and body camera footage and nearby surveillance and raised questions about who initiated the flight, while assembling a mitigation packet showing the client’s caregiver responsibilities. After sustained negotiations, the State agreed to deferred probation.

Charge

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.