Criminal Defense Lawyer in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas

Criminal defense

If you've been accused of a crime in Texas, the stakes are high. Your entire future is riding on the success of your defense, so it's crucial to secure the best criminal defense team as soon as possible after you're accused. The stress of being arrested can be paralyzing, making guidance from a seasoned professional an immediate necessity, but there's no need to panic. You can't be convicted unless the prosecution can prove that you committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, and this is no easy task. The stakes are high, but with the help of an experienced Houston Metro and Fort Bend criminal defense attorney,
the impact on your life can be reduced.
The Lawrence Law Firm is one of the most trusted criminal defense attorneys in Fort Bend County.

Call 832-356-4404

for a complimentary 30-minute strategic planning session.

Arrest and Bookings

If the police have probable cause, they'll arrest and book you at the police station. You'll be fingerprinted, photographed, and your criminal record will be examined. Therefore, it's important never to answer questions from the police without an attorney present. This includes at the scene, in the officer's police car, or anywhere else that you may interact with police. If you've already retained a Houston Metro or Fort Bend criminal defense attorney, you can tell the police that you won't be answering questions until he arrives.

Arraignment

As soon as you hire an experienced Houston Metro criminal defense attorney, they'll be looking for ways to have the charges against you dismissed. If that's not possible, there will be an arraignment proceeding where the formal charges against you are presented. If you haven't yet retained an attorney, it's best to plead not guilty in order to give you time to retain counsel. Most Houston Metro criminal defense attorneys will advise you to plead not guilty to buy time to prepare your defense. Part of the arraignment process is setting bail, which will allow you to go home until the next appearance rather than staying in jail. The best way to obtain favorable bail terms is with the help of an experienced Houston Metro criminal defense attorney. .

Plea Bargaining

After your arraignment, your Houston metro criminal defense attorney will try to convince the prosecution that there isn't enough evidence for a conviction, so the charges should be dismissed. If that's not possible, there will be discussions about pleading guilty to lesser charges in order to avoid the possibility of harsher penalties at trial. If you plead guilty to a crime, you will be considered convicted of that crime, so it's essential to consider this impact on your life carefully. Some types of employment or housing may no longer be possible if you plead guilty to certain crimes, so it's essential to work closely with your Houston Metro criminal defense attorney during this stage. If you've been wrongly accused, it may be better to take your case to trial rather than accept having a criminal record.

Trial

Just because your case goes to trial, this doesn't mean it will go all the way to a jury for a verdict. Your Houston Metro criminal defense attorney will be working behind the scenes as well as in the courtroom, trying to convince the prosecution that their witnesses are not credible, that their evidence is scant, and that they should save themselves from embarrassment by dropping the case mid-trial. If the case goes to a jury for a verdict, you can only be convicted if all six or twelve jurors (six jurors for misdemeanor cases, twelve for felony cases) agree that you're guilty of the crime you're charged with. If the jury finds you not guilty, you're free to go, but if the jury unanimously finds you guilty, the next stage is sentencing.

Sentencing

If you pleaded guilty to a crime or were found guilty by a jury, the next phase is sentencing. As a practical matter, most plea bargaining agreements will include a promise about sentencing as an enticement to accept the offer. After a jury verdict, a judge or jury will decide on the sentence. At the sentencing hearing or during the sentencing portion of your trial, your Houston Metro criminal defense attorney will call character witnesses on your behalf, will contact a probation officer to discuss how you would be a good candidate for probation, discuss your prior criminal record (or lack thereof,) your responsibilities to your family, your remorse, and other factors to try to help you achieve the shortest sentence and smallest fine possible for the crime you've been convicted of.

Appeal

You have a right to appeal the jury's verdict based on errors of law that could be made during the trial. However, if you've been found not guilty, the state cannot appeal the jury's decision. Hire an Experienced Houston Metro Criminal Defense Attorney. The earlier in the process that you hire an attorney, the greater the likelihood of success. Texas prosecutors are overloaded with cases, and an experienced Houston Metro criminal defense attorney can often convince prosecutors to drop charges for non-violent crimes where there's not much evidence of culpability or intent. That's why it's crucial to speak to a Fort Bend criminal defense attorney as soon as possible if you've been accused of a crime.

Got the job done quickly

I hired Jason for an Order of Nondisclosure for a case that was 17 years old. I called several attorneys for my case but Jason seemed to be the only one that was interested in helping me complete my request. Jason was very informative and responded to all of my emails. My request was completed and approve within a month of hiring Jason. I really appreciate Jason acting very quickly to resolve my issue.

Posted by Shaun, a Criminal Defense Client

Adoption

We hired Jason for my husband to adopt my children. He was able to take our payments through our credit card and allowed us to make payments. Also we loved that he charged a flat rate rather than hourly. It took only 8 months to finalize the adoption and it went very smoothly. I highly recommend using Jason.

Posted by Stephanie, a Family Law Client

Awesome service!!!

Jason is extremely professional and handled the case with my best interest as the main priority. Very knowledgeable and courteous and he helped me out quite a bit and saved me money and time in the long run. Very happy with Jason’s service!!

Posted by Lucas, a Criminal Defense client

Finally a painless experience!

Jason was professional, personable, knowledgeable and prepared for my court proceeding. It was refreshing to have an attorney that cares, provides answers within a reasonable amount of time and gets results. I was 100% satisfied with the services I received and would highly recommend Jason in any family court matter.

Posted by Cheryl, a Family Law client

Consummate Professional

Jason Lawrence is the consummate professional. From start to finish, he delivered on everything that was promised, and did so in a timely and trustworthy manner. He communicated with me effectively throughout the process and saw my case to a positive conclusion. I would certainly use him again and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a lawyer in the Houston area.

Posted by John, a Criminal Defense client

Got my case completely dismissed

I was charged with simple assault in Brazoria County over a bogus charge my ex girlfriend put on me. I only had to go to court twice and Jason got the charges completely dropped after talking to the prosecutor. Would recommend him to everyone!

Posted by Marius, a Criminal Defense client

Criminal Defense Lawyer in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas