Arlington, Tarrant County Criminal Defense Attorney | Tarrant County, TX Defense Lawyers

 


DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE OTHER THAN YOUR LAWYER!


    
If You Are Arrested:

SHUT UP!!!!

Ask To Speak To A Lawyer

Do Not Give A Statement

Do Not Give Consent to Search Your Car, Your Home, Your Body

Do Not Speak to the People Who Were Arrested with You


   
You are not alone! An Arlington, TX Criminal Defense Attorney Is Ready to Help

Being charged with a crime in Texas is a very serious matter. Over 17,000 felony criminal cases and more than 30,000 misdemeanor cases were filed in Tarrant County courts in 2010 alone. If you or a loved one have been arrested, you are not alone or helpless, although you may feel like you are.

Just being arrested can be very frightening or aggravating to you today, but a criminal conviction can affect you in many ways for the rest of your life. Do not speak to the government's investigators! They are not on your side! You need to call professionals that defend Tarrant County criminal cases day in and day out. You can trust them. They do know what to do.

Contact an Arlington, TX Criminal Defense Lawyer Sooner Rather than Later

It is important to hire a good Arlington criminal defense lawyer early in the process so that you don't lose valuable constitutional or statutory rights. It's never a good idea to plead guilty without the advice of counsel, even if you believe you are guilty of a crime! An experienced Arlington criminal attorney is the best person to determine if you have been appropriately charged and can often negotiate a lower charge than is contained in the original complaint.

Arlington Defense Lawyers Understand the Pressures of these Hard Economic Times

Poor economic conditions can cause a desperate person to murder, steal, commit welfare fraud, insurance fraud, theft of services, burglary, aggravated robbery, to write hot checks or worthless checks leading to charges of theft by check, or to engage in organized crime, such as illegal gambling, prostitution, pimping or pandering.

Often, hard times can lead to drug abuse or alcohol abuse. When you're drunk or high you might have trouble controlling yourself, and you might engage in risky behavior like driving under the Influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI). The consequences of such actions can be serious: child endangerment, negligent homicide, intoxication manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. You might lose your temper or be unable to control your urges, resulting in violation of a protective order, aggravated assault, rape, sexual assault, child abuse, disorderly conduct, Indecency with a child, or public lewdness.

An Arlington Criminal Attorney Can Help with your Drug Charges

The majority of felony cases filed in Tarrant County in 2010 were drug-related offenses, such as possession of marijuana, drug possession with intent to sell or distribute illegal drugs, attempting to sell illegal drugs, Importation, transportation, cultivation, distribution, conspiracy to violate drug laws or narcotic laws, drug trafficking, manufacture of controlled substances, including cocaine, crack, Ecstasy, GHB (water), heroin, LSD, marijuana, mescaline, amphetamines, methamphetamine (meth, ice), steroids, testosterone, Possession of chemicals used in drug manufacturing, and Illegal possession of prescription drugs, including Codeine, hydrocodone, Morphine, SOMA, OxyContin (oxycodone), Xanax, and Vicodin. Between 2001 and 2007, law enforcement officers made over 80,000 drug-related arrests in Tarrant County.

But I am not a Criminal!

You might not know you were driving impaired until you failed a field sobriety test or a breathalyzer test or blood alcohol test (bac) and got charged with DWIDuress, Police sting operations and police entrapment can cause you to commit crimes you never would have considered otherwise. Online solicitation of a minor, Promotion or possession of child pornography and Federal charges of cyber enticement can arise from such police stings in cooperation with TV shows like to Catch a Predator or COPS. Some law enforcement agencies set up stings using citizen volunteer vigilante groups such as Perverted Justice to try to identify and arrest suspected child predators. These cases often are charged as attempted crime or solicitation of a minor.


A knowledgeable Arlington Criminal Defense Attorney will know how to challenge methods used by law enforcement, any seized evidence, and evidentiary issues. Call one today for a no-cost consultation!


 

Wait, That Was Illegal?

Sometimes, you might not even know your behavior was against the law, until you get charged with a crime such as illegal dumping, animal cruelty, dog fighting, possession of a prohibited weapon, illegal use of fireworks or unauthorized practice of accountancy or practicing medicine without a license or operating child care facility without a license.

Gang membership can result in minor charges such as drawing graffiti or tagging and criminal mischief and vandalism or serious ones like conspiracy to commit capital murder, or aiding and abetting murder, even if you didn't personally commit the actual crime.

Know your rights

  • Police officers are not allowed intimidate you or engage in racial profiling, and there is no benefit in letting them search your body, vehicle, or home.
  • You are not required to give any statement about your whereabouts at a certain time, what you are doing in an area, or anything else.
  • The police cannot continue to ask you questions once you specifically say you are invoking your right to remain silent and request an attorney. You make the decision when the questions stop by requesting to speak to an Arlington criminal attorney.
  • The police have an obligation to treat you with respect and dignity throughout the arrest process. Protect your rights immediately and let the police know that you would like to contact your Arlington criminal defense attorney. The Bill of Rights is there to protect you so use it and don't let the police take advantage of you.

An Arlington Defense Attorney Can Help an Eligible Person Get Out of Jail

If your loved one has been arrested, chances are you are looking for a way to bail him or her out of jail. If you can't afford bail, you might need to obtain the services of a bail bondsman. Your Tarrant County Texas lawyer can help you find a reputable bondsman. Information on how to Post bond in Arlington, Texas can be found HERE. If bail has already been set at an arraignment, an Arlington defense attorney can determine whether the amount is excessive by local standards and may be able to get the amount reduced.

Don't just plead guilty out of embarrassment or to save money

It may be tempting just to plead guilty to avoid the expense or embarrassment of a public trial but such a conviction can have lasting effects, including lifetime sex offender registration, loss of your professional license, ineligibility for student loans or federal benefits or deportation or exclusion for non-American citizens including undocumented aliens and permanent legal residents.

A Tarrant County Criminal Attorney can help determine whether Law Enforcement agencies followed proper procedure and obtained any necessary search warrants to avoid violating the Fourth Amendment and state and federal privacy laws such as eavesdropping and wiretapping laws. If it appears they violated the law, it might be better to challenge the legality of their evidence and go to trial to avoid the many adverse collateral consequences of a guilty plea.

Tarrant County Criminal Courts: County & District Courts

The Tarrant County Criminal Courts consist of the District Courts which hear felony level cases and the County Criminal Courts at Law which hear misdemeanor level cases and cases appealed from the municipal courts.  Documents may be filed directly with the assigned court or in Customer Service. To find out when you are scheduled for court, call 3-1-1 or 817-884-1195 for your court status and details.
 

Arlington Municipal Court
101 S. Mesquite St.
Arlington, Texas 76010
Phone: 817-459-6777
Tarrant County District Clerk
401 West Belknap,
Fort Worth, Texas 76196,
Telephone: (817) 884-1574
Tarrant County District Atty
401 W. Belknap,
Fort Worth, TX 76196
(817) 884-1400

 

Rest assured that an Arlington area Criminal Defense Attorney will be familiar with both federal and state laws and will have the expertise necessary to aggressively pursue your defense. Contact one of the qualified Arlington, Tarrant County criminal defense lawyers on this site today.

Serving clients throughout Central Texas, including Arlington, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook, Blue Mound, Colleyville, Cookes Meadow, Crowley, Dalworthington Gardens, Duncanville, Edgecliff Village, Espanita, Euless, Everman, Forest Hill, Ft. Worth, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Irving, Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Lakeside, Mansfield, North Richland Hills, Pantego, Pelican Bay, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Ryanwood, Saginaw, Sandybrook, Sansom Park, Southlake, Sowers, Watauga, Westlake, Westover Hills, White Settlement, areas in the vicinity of Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, and other communities in Tarrant County.