Being charged with a crime—no matter how minor or how serious—is a very grave matter which can benefit from the experience of a criminal defense attorney in Texas. The potential penalties which can come from a criminal conviction are extensive; jail or prison time, a permanent blot on your criminal record, the loss of future job prospects, the inability to obtain a government college loan, a professional license or rent an apartment and the possible inability to work with children or even own a firearm.

Among the states in the U.S., Texas ranks second in the number of violent crimes, although once the population is factored in, Texas drops to number sixteen. As any Houston criminal defense attorney knows, of the nearly 1.2 million individuals arrested annually in Texas, nearly 13,000 of those receive a prison sentence. Fines and restitution fees for each person in Texas convicted of a criminal offense average $6,000—although that figure can be significantly higher for certain crimes. A Houston criminal defense attorney understands that sometimes criminal charges are the result of one bad decision and will work hard to minimize the damage to your future.