What happens after an arrest in Montgomery County
Most people call me somewhere in the first week, usually confused about what just happened and what comes next. Here is the short version.
After booking, a magistrate sets your bond and reads you the charges. That is not your trial. For a misdemeanor the case goes to the Montgomery County Courts at Law. For a felony, the case has to be presented to a grand jury before it lands in one of the 9th, 221st, 284th, 359th, 410th, 418th, 435th, 457th, and 476th District Courts at the Montgomery County Courthouse complex at 301 N Main St and 207 W Phillips St. Between those steps there is a window where evidence is still being gathered, lab work is still pending, and decisions are being made about your case by people you have never met. That window is where a defense lawyer earns their fee.
Montgomery County runs a heavy criminal docket and it moves. A case here can get away from you in a few settings if nobody is pushing back on the science.
Charges I defend
- DWI, DWI second and third, and felony DWI
- Intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter
- Drug possession and possession with intent, all penalty groups
- Assault, family violence assault, and aggravated assault
- Theft, burglary, and property crimes
- Weapons charges, including unlawful carry and felon in possession
- Probation and community supervision violations
- Warrants, bond reduction, and bond condition modification
If your charge is not on that list, call anyway. If it is not something I should handle, I will tell you who should.
Why the science matters more than most people think
A large share of criminal cases now rest on something a machine produced. A breath test. A blood draw analyzed by gas chromatography. A field drug test kit. A cell phone extraction. Prosecutors present those outputs as facts. They are measurements, and every measurement carries error, assumptions, and a chain of human decisions behind it.
I am one of a small number of attorneys in Texas who has completed the American Chemical Society's forensic chromatography program and holds the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation. That is lab training, not a marketing badge. It means I read the raw data, the calibration records, and the maintenance logs, not just the one page report the State hands over.
I request the full discovery package: the chromatograms, the batch sequence, the quality control runs, the instrument maintenance history, and the analyst's own notes. Sometimes it confirms the State's number. Sometimes it does not. You cannot know until somebody looks.
Cost, and what I will tell you on the first call
The consultation is free and you talk to me, not to a screener. I will give you a flat fee before you hire me, and I will tell you what is and is not included. Payment plans exist.
I will also tell you if I think you do not need a lawyer, or if the offer on the table is already better than what I could get you. That happens. You are not going to get a sales pitch from me on the phone.
Questions people ask
Do I need a lawyer for a first offense misdemeanor in Montgomery County?
Sometimes, no. A first Class C traffic matter usually does not need one. Anything that can put a conviction on your record, cost you a license, or affect your job usually does, because a plea you take today follows you. Call and I will tell you which one you are looking at.
How long does a criminal case take in Texas?
A misdemeanor commonly runs three to nine months. A felony often runs a year or longer, and cases waiting on lab results run longer still. Faster is not always better. The pressure to resolve quickly usually favors the State.
Will I have to go to trial?
Most cases resolve without one. That said, the offers you get are shaped by whether the prosecutor believes you will actually try the case. I prepare every file as if it is going to a jury, which is a big part of why many of them do not.
Can you handle a case in Montgomery County if I live somewhere else?
Yes. I appear in Montgomery County regularly and I represent people who live out of the county and out of state. In many misdemeanor settings I can appear on your behalf so you do not have to make the drive every time.