Violent crimes carry some of the most severe legal penalties our criminal system has to offer. These crimes typically involve the use or threat of force against a victim. In some instances, the violent act itself is the primary focus of the crime, while in others, violence is used as a tool to achieve another objective. Not all violent crimes involve a weapon or firearm, but the consequences for the victim can range from no injury to bodily harm, serious injury, or even death.
These crimes involve direct physical violence or injury to another person, often resulting in serious harm or death. This can include assault and battery, domestic violence, homicides, manslaughter and more.
These crimes involve the use of threats, force, or coercion to achieve a criminal objective, often putting the victim in extreme danger or distress. This can include robbery and kidnapping.
Involves non-consensual sexual contact or penetration, with aggravated sexual assault including factors like causing serious bodily injury, using a deadly weapon, or victimizing children or the elderly.
Simple Assault: Involves intentionally causing bodily injury to another person, making threats of imminent harm, or engaging in offensive physical contact.
Aggravated Assault: Includes causing serious bodily injury to another person or using or exhibiting a deadly weapon during the commission of the assault.
Murder: Intentionally or knowingly causing the death of another person. This can also include causing death while committing or attempting to commit a felony (felony murder).
Capital Murder: Murder committed under specific circumstances, such as killing a police officer or committing multiple murders. This offense can carry the death penalty.
Manslaughter: Recklessly causing the death of another person.
Criminally Negligent Homicide: Causing the death of another person through criminal negligence.
Sexual Assault: Involves non-consensual sexual contact or penetration.
Aggravated Sexual Assault: Involves sexual assault with additional factors such as causing serious bodily injury, using a deadly weapon, or targeting a victim who is particularly vulnerable (e.g., a child or elderly person).
Robbery: Involves causing bodily injury or threatening imminent injury to another person while committing theft.
Aggravated Robbery: Involves using or exhibiting a deadly weapon, causing serious bodily injury, or targeting a vulnerable person during the commission of a robbery.
Kidnapping: Involves intentionally or knowingly abducting another person.
Aggravated Kidnapping: Includes kidnapping with the intent to hold the person for ransom, use them as a hostage, inflict bodily harm, or commit other felonies.
Domestic Assault: Assault committed against a family member, household member, or someone the offender is in a dating relationship with.
Continuous Violence Against the Family: Repeated acts of assault against a family or household member over a specific period.
Facing any kind of violent crime charge in Texas can be a daunting experience, particularly when the legal system is geared toward achieving convictions. Having an experienced defense attorney by your side can significantly impact the outcome of your case. Our legal team possesses in-depth knowledge of the Texas penal code and the strategies often employed by prosecutors. Our extensive knowledge will allow us to effectively challenge the evidence against you.
When you contact our criminal defense team, we will immediately begin investigating your alleged crime. For example, we will review official police reports and other documents, examine physical evidence and interview witnesses. Our goal is to ensure you are protected from the system by searching for holes inconsistencies and other discrepancies that may give rise to reasonable doubt.
In many cases, we represent clients who have had their rights unjustly violated during an arrest or while officers were gathering evidence. It’s important that you cooperate with the police so that additional charges aren’t added. If you believe officer misconduct occurred, explain this during a free consultation and let our attorneys look into this for you.
When you are arrested, there are laws and procedures that govern how criminal defendants are treated. It creates an incredibly complicated system that is impossible to navigate alone. It’s important that you have an experienced, professional and trusted attorney on your side. Your attorney will assert your rights and fight for a fair resolution.
Several defenses can be mounted in a criminal case. Do you have an alibi? Are the charges based on the testimony of an unreliable witness? Did you act in self-defense? Your attorney will work with you to present the facts of your case in a coherent theory of defense.
The Carlson Law Firm trial attorneys are ready to represent you in a courtroom. Our experience has given us the skills to select a jury, scrutinize improper evidence and testimony, cross-examine the witnesses and present your defense to the jury.
Accepting a plea deal or going to trial can change the trajectory of your life. A knowledgeable DWI defense lawyer can offer wise counsel based on decades of experience to help you make strategic decisions in the criminal court process.
Our criminal defense attorneys are firm but compassionate. We know that a criminal charge will be difficult for everyone in your family. Our team will act as an intermediary between you and your family to ease their anxiety about your case.
When charged with a violent crime, securing your rights and protecting your future hinges on a robust defense. The approach to defending against these charges will differ based on the unique details of your situation, but the primary aim is always to challenge or lessen the charges. An experienced lawyer will dive deep into the facts of your case, carefully analyzing each aspect to find flaws or gaps in the prosecution’s argument.
A Carlson Law Firm violent attorney works for you. We will fight for the best possible resolution for your charges. Call us now for a free consultation.
The length of time it takes to resolve your criminal case depends on several factors, including the following:
It can take time to mount a proper defense and coordinate the schedules of the parties involved in your case. Criminal cases can take months to resolve.
In Texas, if you have prior convictions, especially for violent crimes, this can lead to enhanced penalties under the state’s repeat offender laws. The judge may impose a harsher sentence, and what would normally be a second-degree felony could be elevated to a first-degree felony due to your criminal history.
Violent crime convictions are generally more challenging to expunge or seal from your record compared to non-violent offenses. In Texas, most felony violent crime convictions are not eligible for expungement, though in some cases, certain offenses might be eligible for a non-disclosure order (sealing), depending on the circumstances.
The use of a weapon in committing a violent crime significantly impacts the legal process, often resulting in elevated charges (e.g., from simple assault to aggravated assault) and more severe penalties. Additionally, the presence of a weapon can affect plea bargaining and sentencing decisions.
In Texas, self-defense is a valid defense in domestic violence cases, but the application can be complex. The law considers whether the force used was proportionate to the threat faced. In domestic situations, evidence of a history of abuse may also influence the court’s decision on whether the self-defense claim is valid.
Yes, a drug conviction in Texas can result in the suspension of your driver’s license for up to 180 days. You may also be required to complete a Drug Offender Education Program before your license can be reinstated.
Yes, being convicted of a violent crime can have serious implications for your parental rights, including custody and visitation. Courts consider the safety and well-being of the child, and a violent crime conviction could lead to loss or restriction of these rights. The Carlson Law Firm has a family law department and a criminal defense department that will work together to preserve your rights if you’re accused of a violent crime.
Yes, a violent crime conviction can significantly affect your ability to travel, especially internationally. Here are some ways it can impact your travel:
In the United States, a violent crime conviction does not automatically disqualify you from obtaining a passport. However, if you are currently on probation, parole, or under other travel restrictions as part of your sentence, you may not be able to obtain or use a passport to travel internationally.
Many countries have strict entry requirements and may deny entry to individuals with criminal convictions, particularly for violent crimes. For example:
If you are on probation or parole following a violent crime conviction, you may be subject to travel restrictions. This could include not being allowed to leave the state or country without permission from your probation or parole officer.
When applying for a visa to travel or immigrate to another country, you are typically required to disclose any criminal convictions. A history of violent crime can be a major red flag and may result in visa denial.
Some countries may allow entry despite a violent crime conviction, but you might need to apply for special permission or a visa waiver in advance. This process can be complex, time-consuming, and is not guaranteed to succeed.
Engaging in organized criminal activity involves committing or conspiring to commit specific crimes as part of a gang or criminal organization, including offenses like drug trafficking, robbery, or murder.
Under the Texas Penal Code, penalties for gang activities are typically charged as a first-degree felony if the underlying crime is a serious felony (e.g., murder, aggravated assault), punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000. Lesser offenses might be charged as second-degree felonies, with penalties of 2 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Involves encouraging, coercing, or recruiting someone to join a gang, often through threats, violence, or inducement.
Involves committing an assault, particularly aggravated assault, as part of gang activity.
Involves committing robbery as part of gang activity, often involving multiple offenders acting together.
Involves committing violence or threats against individuals (e.g., witnesses, law enforcement) in retaliation for their actions against gang members or activities.
Involves committing sex crimes, such as sexual assault or human trafficking, as part of gang activities, often to exert control, intimidate, or generate income.
If you are facing violent crime charges in Bell, Coryell, or Lampasas County and need a legal team, call a defense lawyer at The Carlson Law Firm. The best legal representation comes from lawyers who care about you and care about your situation. Our attorneys and legal assistants will treat you with the respect you deserve and give your case the attention you deserve.
Depending on the circumstances of your arrest, you may be facing either a misdemeanor or felony charge. Criminal charges can significantly impact your life, potentially requiring you to seek additional help from a military, family law or injury lawyer. Hiring a Carlson Law Firm Criminal Defense Lawyer means that you get a team of attorneys experienced in securing your rights—no matter what.
Attorney Kyra Leal is part of a team with all your bases covered.
With over a dozen locations throughout Texas, there’s a Carlson Law Firm near you. We have law offices located in Killeen, Temple, Waco, Round Rock, Austin, San Antonio, Kerrville, Laredo, Bryan, Lubbock, Midland, and Corpus Christi.
100 E. Central Texas Expy
Killeen, TX 76541
(254) 526-5688
11606 N. I-35
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 346-5688
135 W. Slaughter Ln, Ste A
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 804-7277
6243 I-10 #550
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 696-8600
618 SW Military Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78221
(210) 923-7700
1109 W. Baker Road, Ste A
Baytown, TX 77521
(832) 806-6155
1121 Briarcrest Drive, Ste 200
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 260-5688
653 Everhart Rd, Ste 105
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 336-3317
301 Junction Highway, Ste 100
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830) 257-7575
5112 McPherson, Ste 106
Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 712-2588
10101 Quaker Ave
Lubbock, TX 79424
(806) 401-0500
900 Lp 250 Frontage Rd b
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 247-6611
1717 N. I-35 Ste 305
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 671-7277
4282 S Jackson St.
San angelo, TX 76903
(325) 238-4322
2010 SW H K Dodgen Loop, Ste 201
Temple TX 76504
(254) 771-5688
2420 I-35 South
Waco, TX 76706
(254) 772-5653
2909 Garnett Ave
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
(940) 285-6333
1500 Rosecrans Ave Ste 500
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(254) 516-3570
33rd Ave N Ste 220
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 373-4655
100 E. Central Texas Expy
Killeen, TX 76541
(254) 526-5688
11606 N. I-35
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 346-5688
135 W. Slaughter Ln, Ste A
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 804-7277
6243 I-10 #550
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 696-8600
618 SW Military Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78221
(210) 923-7700
1109 W. Baker Road, Ste A
Baytown, TX 77521
(832) 806-6155
1121 Briarcrest Drive, Ste 200
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 260-5688
653 Everhart Rd, Ste 105
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 336-3317
301 Junction Highway, Ste 100
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830) 257-7575
5112 McPherson, Ste 106
Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 712-2588
10101 Quaker Ave
Lubbock, TX 79424
(806) 401-0500
900 Lp 250 Frontage Rd b
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 247-6611
559 S I-35 Frontage Rd Ste 250,
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 671-7277
4282 S Jackson St.
San angelo, TX 76903
(325) 238-4322
2010 SW H K Dodgen Loop, Ste 201
Temple TX 76504
(254) 771-5688
2420 I-35 South
Waco, TX 76706
(254) 772-5653
2909 Garnett Ave
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
(940) 285-6333
1500 Rosecrans Ave Ste 500
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(254) 516-3570
333 33rd Ave N Ste 220
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 373-4655
