Not having a lawyer when you have been charged with a felony is nothing to brag about. In fact, you should get a lawyer if you face a felony in the court of law in Texas. There’ll be a point when you’ll ultimately benefit from it if you do have to go to court for a felony. When you have a family and a job, you might as well put it on hold because that’s exactly what will happen when you get charged with a felony in Texas. Most of the time, those who’ve been arrested, and are in jail, didn’t think twice to get one.
If you have a felony and it’s the first time, you can get lucky and get a minimum of 1 year in the county jail. If you are in Travis county or the surrounding area, this can happen when you’re a first time felon as well. Know the law or get a lawyer because for felonies in Texas, you can serve time in jail with massive fines that can exceed in the thousands.
Some of the severe felonies that go to pre-trial, trial, and sentencing phases are the following:
- Homicide
- Kidnapping
- Burglary
- Theft (based on $ amount)
- Grand theft/grand larceny,
When felonies are committed in Texas, such as burglary of a habitat, the offense may be tried by jurors or by judge. If the crime is a “repeat” and if the person who did the offense was on parole or probation, the consequences doesn’t favor the alleged. With an attorney, it can very well lighten it. The fines are more and there’s a definite possibility that the criminal will be serving the remainder of the original sentence and sent right back where he/she was released from plus stack another case on top of the original felony! A criminal defense attorney can explain all this when you contract one or hire one to defend you in your situation.
To avoid jail time, a lawyer will always benefit the person being charged with any type of crime. Regardless of what the ticket or jail time is, being incarcerated is not a better option. When arrested and labeled as a habitual offender according to the State of Texas D.A.’s office, you will have your day in court. Do not do this alone, even the repeat offenders who steal cans of cokes get lawyers. If it’s a third misdemeanor, it’s still considered “repeaters.” This can land a repeat offender in Texas the minimum and that’s 10 years in a State Prison. Knowing the Penal Code statutes in Texas, plus experience in the State of Texas Criminal Courts is beneficial.
Texas Felons NEED Criminal Defense Attorneys
If you are convicted of a felony charge in Texas and found guilty, your time starts once you step on the grounds of that said prison you may be sentenced to. With an educated and knowledgeable Texas criminal defense attorney, you might avoid time in jail, with other alternatives instead of packing the Texas prisons one human being at a time.
One Texas County Sheriff, Dee Andersen, told a news reporter from the McClatchy county Texas is “a tough state with a tough prison system. The prison system is not a rehabilitation place for inmates, but ‘tough enough’ to where you don’t want to go back.” Instead of being incarcerated, being on parole is a better option if it’s a non-violent act the defendant committed. The reason is to have at least some part of your freedom if you’re a felon and be able to provide for yourself and your family, hold a job, and most of all reporting to your PO or probation officer. Calling a good defense attorney to help you with any of your felonies is deemed possible when you know you may be facing a judge or juror panel any time soon.
Source: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article24734773.html
Overview of Felonies in the State of Texas
The worst statement you do not want to hear and said to you is, “Your FIRED!”
What’s more and another statement you don’t want to ever hear and said to you is, “You have the right to remain silent.”
Felonies can result in a brief “halt or set-back” for you because of unfortunate circumstances resulting from any of the classified felonies in the Texas Penal Code statutes. You’ll definitely need to seek legal counsel and hire a lawyer. With the legal system in Texas, gathering the right information for your defense case can take years. Depending on how critical the crime is, the more evidence will be put against you by the Texas prosecutor’s office, or the District Attorney’s office in the county you were arrested in.
Felony Offenses will “wake you up” from the dead or delusion that crime pays. Plus, if you don’t have an attorney representing you, who knows what will happen in the court of law in Texas? Although, as the date gets closer for your appearance for your statement or testimony, you’ll be hit with a “ton of bricks” by the judge if you’re caught off guard and not prepared for your right to freedom.
Source: 1. Felonies or misdemeanors. Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.
- http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/docs/PE/htm/PE.12.htm
- http://www.dps.texas.gov/crimereports/16/citCh2.pdf
Texas Felony Classifications
- State Jail Felony
- Felony in the 3rd Degree
- Felony in the 2nd Degree
- Felony in the 1st Degree
- Enhanced Felony in the First Degree
Source: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/docs/PE/htm/PE.12.htm
The main classifications for repeat offenders in Texas of Felonies
Spending time in prison because of a wrong decision can change a person’s life overnight. For instance, when a repeat offender shoplifts in a small town in Texas, it can be considered a felony landing him/her in a federal or state prison for minimum of 10 years. Did we mention that the offense was carried out by a repeat offender and the can of soda was only $1.07! That’s with tax.
They are all classified according to the crime. There are 10 main felony classifications per title in the Texas Penal Code. There are exceptions and penalties for habitual and repeat offenders, for instance, which can be classified with the following felony charges. If an individual in Texas is handcuffed for these various offenses, they’re given a classified number and title. For instance, there’s the CLASSIFICATION OF TITLE 4, for INCHOATE OFFENSES and there’s the CLASSIFICATION OF TITLE 5, OFFENSES AGAINST THE or A PERSON, OR the CLASSIFICATION OF TITLE 6, OFFENSES AGAINST THE FAMILY. These are only 3 of the 10 classifications that are considered felonies and if repeat offenders “pick up” a charge along with any older ones, fines and jail time are more likely, if you don’t get a lawyer to help you out, especially in with Texas laws today on repeat offenders with felonies.
This is in Texas. The laws are considered tough and when it comes to felonies, the Attorney General and the District Attorney’s are not playing around. When a person steals or commits murder it can be considered a felony. The amounts stolen and if the crime was committed by a minor may affect the outcome, but still yet, it’s a felony. When it’s committed by a repeat offender, the fines and the time incarcerated are greater.
Potential Defenses and Your Rights
Potential defense teams concentrate on your rights. Defendants Constitutional rights are always precedent over anything going to a Texas Court. When you have rights, but don’t know the law or your constitutional rights, hiring a criminal defense lawyer will protect you from unlawful and harsh sentencing for a felony you committed or being accused of. There are crimes that are punished with sever penalties but because the offender doesn’t know the legal terms or statutes of the Texas Penal Code, then it becomes a sentence and fine that is to cruel or harsh for the offender. Let a Texas Criminal Defense Attorney handle the case for you if you are in this predicament.
Some possible terms of probation can include the following on account of the defendant complies with these agreements, for example. Living a life of normalcy would be the balance you may need in your life. You can’t do it from jail, but compared to being incarcerated, the chances are far more enlightening working a productive lifestyle and contribute back to your community. Call a lawyer to consult your legal troubles or felony charges that may be brought against you in the State of Texas.
Here are some alternatives to jail sentencing for felonies committed in Texas.
- Don’t pick up any other criminal charges while report to PO on appointment basis
- Stay within a fixed point radius or wear an “ankle monitor”
- Have steady employment
- Community service
When successfully completing probationary, with no incident, it can be challenging. Qualifying for eligibility of non-disclosure is possible for your future endeavors in the workplace too. There are some incidents and problems that can arise though when getting through probation (or parole). Therefore it’s not only challenging, but it will give you a new take on life. Another chance to start over in your life because of this unfortunate repeat of a crime is that you’ll be on a clean slate once you complete your probationary or parole. You’ll have completed it in a short time, and be free. Completion of probation will give you a good chance to redeem yourself and put forth the efforts by working with your PO’s, family support, legal counsel, and keep up a job. It’s worth the efforts, plus it beats being in jail for years.
Houston Criminal Defense Attorney
Finally, with the Criminal Penalties in the state of Texas, if you need a lawyer in Austin to defend you, our team is ready to defend you in the court of law. There are so many judges and jurors that want the “bad guys” to go to jail, but, what if you just “fell into unchartered waters” unfortunately?
Categories: Crime
Tags: Criminal Defense Attorney, Criminal Justice, Felony, Houston, Texas