Houston DWI Lawyer | DWI Defense in Houston, TX

This is a question I get often by people that call me because they are scared to go to their initial court date without a Houston criminal attorney.  I am embarrassed that I live in a county where this is the case.  The reality is that a criminal court judge should not revoke a bond and put someone back in jail so long as the accused attends their court setting on time, has not been charged with a new crime since their arrest,  and because they cannot afford to hire a criminal lawyer.  Nevertheless, most judges will scold the accused for not hiring a lawyer in a timely fashion.  Thus, do not let anyone scare you into thinking that if you do not hire a lawyer for your first court date in a criminal case that you will be re-arrested in Harris County, Texas.  This is not true for theft, DWI, Assault or any other type of case in Houston.

If you are in the need of a lawyer please click here to visit my website or call me at (713) 242-1779.

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A lot of discussion has occurred amond Houston DWI lawyers the last of couple of weeks concerning the DWI Pretrial Diversion Program around the Harris County Courthouse.  Luckily, this has also opened the door for other types of cases to be more easily considered for pretrial diversion.  I have personally encountered prosecutors being receptive to a pretrial diversion for theft, possession of marijuana, and possession of cocaine cases.  In the past, a request for a pretrial diversion was akin to asking for a prosecutor's first born in Harris County, Texas.   For the sake of anyone accused of a crime I hope this trend continues.  Most criminal lawyers know that a theft or shoplifting case is one of the very few misdemeanor crimes that are considered to be "crimes of moral turpitude."  Thus, it is imperative that you hire a Houston theft Lawyer.

If you have any questions regarding your shoplifting case do not hesitate to contact me at (713) 242-1779.

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Despite being a Houston Criminal Attorney a lot of our clients are from outside the Houston calling area.  We have clients that live throughout Texas and throughout the United States.  In order to better served our clients we provide a toll free phone number for them.  The phone number is (800) 724-1876 in the event you need to contact our law firm for any questions regarding a DWI, Assault, Theft/Shoplifting, or Possession of Marijuana/Cocaine. 

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If you need the assistance of a lawyer please contact me at (713) 242-1779.

A theft/shoplifting case like a criminal mischief case is determined by the amount that is alleged to have been stolen.  If the dollar amount is less than $50 then it is a class "c" misdemeanor.  A person can not go to jail for these type of cases.  In fact, the punishment is only a fine.  Once it is over $50  it becomes a class 'B" misdemeanor.  A person can go to jail for up to 180 days and/or receive a fine up to $2,000 for this level of offense.  If the amount alleged is over $500 but less than $1,500 it becomes a class "A" misdemeanor and the punishment increases up to one year in the county jail or a fine up to $4,000.  A theft/shoplifting becomes a felony one of two ways.  It could become a felony if the person has been convicted twice before of theft.  Please keep in mind that a deferred adjudication is not a conviction.  Next, it could become a felony if the amount is over $1,500.  If the amount is over $1,500 but under $20,000 it is a state jail felony.  The range of punishment for this offense is not less then 180 days and no more then 2 years and a fine up to $10,000.  If the amount is over $20,000 but under $100,000 it becomes a third degree felony where the range of punishment if from 2 to 10 years in the Texas Department of Corrections and a fine up to $10,000.  If the amount is over $100,000, but under $200,000 you are facing a second degree felony where the range of punishment if from 2 to 20 years in the Texas Department of Corrections and a fine up to $10,000.  Finally, when the amount is over $200,000 a person is facing a first degree felony where the punishment is from 5 years to 99 years or life in the Texas Department of Corrections and a fine up to $10,000.

As you can see a theft case is very serious.  As I have mentioned before even a minor theft case is a crime of moral turpitude. .

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As a Houston Theft Lawyer one of he first things that I tell someone that has been arrested for theft or shoplifting is that  these charges are considered to be crimes of moral turpitude.  Moral turpitude is a legal term of art with no generally accepted definition. In general, "crimes of moral turpitude" cover conduct involving dishonesty, These type of crimes can cause serious immigration consequences, impact professional licenses, or prevent employment.  Thus, it is of utmost importance not to be convicted of a theft or shoplifting case.  Almost daily I get a phone call from someone that decided to take the easier route of just paying fine instead of attempting to successfully complete a deferred adjudication.  While this may have seemed to have been a good idea when someone was a teenager they ultimately regret the decision a few years down the road when they attempt to start a career only to find out that everyone is now labeling them a thief.

If you need assistance with your theft case contact our firm at (713) 242-1779 or (800) 724-1876 for a free consultation.

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