Criminal Defense Case Results in Tarrant, TX

Charge

Theft (Class C)

Location

Tarrant County, Benbrook Municipal Court

Allegations

Loss prevention detained the client after a retail self-checkout when a few low-value items failed to scan. The client had asked the attendant for help and, with hearing issues, believed everything was properly rung up. We obtained the citation file and surveillance, highlighted the lack of intent and the client's reliance on staff, and pressed those points with the prosecutor. The state offered a deferred disposition with short probation, a theft awareness course, and a modest fee. The client accepted deferred probation.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Tarrant County, CCC8

Allegations

During a panic episode, the client called police for help retrieving medication and was instructed to drive to a nearby meeting point. Officers reported an odor of alcohol and an open container, performed roadside tests the client believed were passed, and then obtained a hospital blood draw that later came back over .15. There was no crash and it was a first arrest. We secured the videos and lab records, emphasized the medical context and that the client sought help and drove at police direction, and pressed those mitigators with the prosecutor. The case resolved with straight probation.

Charge

Theft (State Jail Felony)

Location

Tarrant County, D213

Allegations

Charges arose from a rental vehicle that was not returned after it reportedly broke down. The client left the car and later faced a felony theft allegation. After a traffic stop in another state, a warrant brought the client back to face the case. We entered quickly, met with the client in custody, secured the discovery, and pressed the state on proof of intent to deprive and the value range. Following negotiations, the prosecution agreed to deferred adjudication probation, allowing the client to avoid a conviction if all terms are completed.

Charge

Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Tarrant County, CCC2

Allegations

The client was stopped for an expired registration. After answering a question about prior marijuana use, officers removed the client, searched the car, and found a holstered pistol in the glove box. UCW was based on alleged additional criminal activity tied to a vape and a small pipe, yet the vape later turned up in the car when it was released, raising doubts about what was actually seized. We obtained dash and body cam, challenged the search and the predicate offense, and provided gun safety and drug education certificates. The state dismissed and we secured an order returning the firearm.

Charge

Disorderly Conduct - Discharge/Display of a Firearm (Class B)

Location

Tarrant County, CCC7

Allegations

After another driver ran a stop at a commercial area and pulled over, our client briefly retrieved a handgun from a bag and put it in a pocket while stepping away from the vehicle to protect a passenger. No threats were made and the gun was never fired. Police later detained the client and filed a Class B disorderly conduct charge for allegedly displaying a firearm. We secured the bodycam, reports, and available surveillance, and walked the prosecutor through the lack of intent to alarm and inconsistencies in witness accounts. The state dismissed the case.

Charge

Public Intoxication

Location

Tarrant County, Fort Worth Municipal Court

Allegations

The client was detained outside a nightlife venue after an evening with friends. Security handed him to officers, who took him for fluids and then booked him for public intoxication. He was not driving, had already surrendered car keys, and companions were ready to take him home. We obtained the reports and discovery, emphasized the lack of proof that he posed a danger to himself or others, and pressed the issue with the prosecutor. The case was dismissed in municipal court, keeping a conviction off his record.

Charge

Possession of a Fake ID

Location

Tarrant County, Arlington Municipal Court

Allegations

During a traffic stop involving another driver, officers searched the vehicle and discovered a fake ID in the client’s purse with alcoholic beverages present. She had already provided her real identifying information and never attempted to present the fake ID. We pressed for the police reports and video, scrutinized the stated basis for rummaging through her belongings, and emphasized her clean record and cooperation. Using that leverage, we negotiated deferred probation, keeping a conviction off her record so long as she satisfied the terms.

Charge

Minor in Possession of Alcohol

Location

Tarrant County, Arlington Municipal Court

Allegations

After a traffic stop, officers found beer in the vehicle and cited our client for minor in possession, even though they were a passenger. We dissected the reports and challenged whether the state could prove actual possession based on alcohol located in a shared area of the car. With no prior history and weaknesses in the link to possession, we pushed for a non-conviction outcome. The prosecutor agreed to deferred probation with short-term conditions. The case will close without a conviction if completed, protecting the client's record.

Charge

Unlawful Restraint

Location

Tarrant County, None

Allegations

Police responded to a third party 911 call after a minor dispute outside a residence. Officers separated the parties and arrested our client for unlawful restraint based on an assumption that someone was being kept in a car. We got involved immediately, tracked the case with intake, and documented that the only direct account denied any restraint. We emphasized the absence of evidence of restricted movement or threats and the mismatch with third party speculation. The DA declined to file and the case was dismissed.

Charge

Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon

Location

Tarrant County, CCC7

Allegations

During a DWI investigation, officers reported finding a handgun zipped inside a backpack on the back seat. The client held a license to carry and never displayed or mishandled the firearm, so the UCW allegation depended entirely on the parallel intoxication claim. We obtained the reports, emphasized that the weapon was secured and lawfully possessed, and pressed the state on why this should stand as a separate offense. After sustained negotiations, including proof of responsible ownership and completion of a safety course, the prosecution dismissed the UCW.

Charge

DWI - First Offense

Location

Tarrant County, CCC7

Allegations

Police found our client asleep at a traffic light in the early morning and noted an admission to drinking. He explained he was headed for medical care due to chest pain and had significant back issues that limited his performance on roadside tests. A warrant blood draw was taken at a hospital. We gathered medical records documenting respiratory and cardiac concerns and his spinal problems, then challenged the reliability of the field tests and the timing and handling of the blood sample. Using those issues in negotiations, we secured deferred probation, keeping a conviction off his record.

Charge

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Location

Tarrant County, CDC4

Allegations

Following a night out, an argument at a home escalated. The other party lifted the client during the dispute, the client fell, and in fear threw several glass bottles, one causing a minor cut. Officers documented the scene and arrested the client for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. We gathered statements, noted the complainant’s reluctance to pursue charges, and emphasized self defense concerns and the lack of serious injury. After we presented these issues, the case was no billed by a grand jury and the state dismissed it.