Criminal Cases Defended

Houston, Texas Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers

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The navigation bar above will provide you with access to information about some of the specific types of criminal cases that we defend. Also, please see a partial listing of cases we have won.

On this page, we give you a quick overview of:

What to Expect from Your Criminal Case

If you or a loved one have been accused of a crime, what will happen? There are some general stages that cases can go through:

Stage:	What generally happens:	What a lawyer should generally do:
Investigation	Government agents investigate to develop evidence against a person.	Act as a liaison between the accused and the government; try to prevent the accused from incriminating himself; collect exculpatory evidence.
Formal charge	Prosecutor files an indictment, a complaint, or an information with a court.	Explain to the prosecutor or the grand jury why formal charges are not appropriate. Try to prevent indictment.
Bail	Judge decides whether to set bail, and how much bail to set.	Get reasonable bail set; assist the accused in making bail and getting released
Pretrial proceedings	Parties prepare for trial.	Investigate all of the facts of the case and the applicable law. Speak to witnesses. File motions and briefs. If appropriate, try to negotiate a plea bargain agreement.
Trial	Parties present their case to a jury.	Try to keep the government from proving its case, and present any evidence that might suggest that the accused is not guilty.
Sentencing	(If accused lost at trial) Judge (or, in Texas, the jury) decides what the punishment should be.	Try to minimize punishment. Present any mitigating evidence.
Appeal	Court of appeals (three judges, generally) decide if trial judge made mistakes in trial.	Try to win a new trial or a judgment of acquittal.