An Austin felony charge and conviction comes with life-changing effects. At best, it may result in formal probation with little or no jail time. At worst, it’s punishable by a state jail term of 16 months or more or even life in prison.
Felonies include non-violent criminal acts like petty theft (shoplifting) with an earlier conviction, to much more violent criminal acts such as domestic violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, robbery, sex crimes and murder.
Types of Austin felony cases
Contents
- White Collar: bribery, fraud, forgery, perjury (making false statements under oath), embezzlement, identity theft, computer crimes
- Drugs : possessing, manufacturing, distributing, possession with intent to sell
- Sex: sexual abuse, sexual assault, illegal possession of pornography, continuous sexual abuse of a child
- Violent and Serious: mayhem, murder or involuntary manslaughter, kidnapping, arson, grand theft involving a firearm, felony DUI (driving under the influence, 4th time in ten years)
Felony Sentencing
For most states, most felonies are punishable within the Determinate Sentencing laws.
This means the judge may possibly impose 1 of 3 prison terms: low, middle or high term.
As an example, first degree burglary is punishable by the low term of two years, middle term of 4 years or upper term of 6 years.
Often the judge chooses the middle term, but it is dependent upon several factors, such as the judge’s own discretion, the crime’s severity, the offender’s criminal history and other mitigating (less serious) or aggravating (more serious) factors.
- A mitigating factor may be whether the defendant played an active or passive role in the crime.
- An aggravating factor might be whether or not the the defendant used a gun or a weapon during the crime.
Even the lightest felony conviction can ruin many aspects of everyday living, limiting work, housing opportunities, and quality of life for many years.
To secure the very best result for your case, you must have a knowledgeable and experienced defense lawyer helping you.
In certain states, some misdemeanor crimes can be raised to felonies.
These are typically referred to as “wobbler” and may can include these criminal acts:
- Assault
- Battery
- Domestic Violence
- Hit and Run
- Embezzlement
- Drug Offenses
- Criminal Threats
- Fraud
- Vandalism
- Possession of Firearms
Whenever expungement (clearing a criminal record) or sentencing hangs in the balance over the status of a wobbler, legal representation is especially important.
The suitable lawyer could tip the justice scales in favor of a misdemeanor, and reduce the impact and penalty of “wobbler” crimes. Speak to our Austin criminal defense lawyer immediately to get a cost-free consultation.
An Knowledgeable Austin Criminal Defense Lawyer is crucial
It is possible to avoid prison entirely and arrange for a different sentence. Your lawyer might be the best singular factor in determining the end result of your felony conviction. A felony expungement (clearing your record) can also be achievable when you have fulfilled the conditions of probation, not picked up another criminal case, and did not serve a state jail sentence.
Our skilled team of Austin criminal defense lawyers will aggressively go after all options to secure the best possible outcome available to you, such as trial and alternative sentencing. For powerful and successful legal representation, as well as an absolutely free confidential consultation, contact Austin criminal defense attorney immediately.
Austin Felony Defense Attorneys
Felony-Level Offenses
A felony charge in most states is punishable by over one year, to life, imprisonment, and a maximum fine, as given by statute. Felonies would be the most serious of all criminal charges and are prosecuted strongly.
Typical felony charges include murder, drug-trafficking, rape, assault, arson and robbery.
In all felony cases, the county lawyer (instead of the city lawyer) will prosecute. In especially serious matters, the State Lawyer General would have to get involved. Working together with a seasoned Austin criminal defense lawyer is one of the most significant things you can do if you’ve been charged with a felony.
Since you also face an extended term of jail time, acting immediately, and getting a lawyer who is able to assist you to avoid a conviction, is critical. Since a felony is considered the most serious kind of criminal charge a defendant may face, there’s a lot of hearings involved. After an arrest for a felony, bail and release conditions shall be set.
The next step will be an arraignment, the defendant’s first court appearance. The court will inform the defendant of the charges he or she is facing. After arraignment, the defendant will face what is called an “omnibus” hearing. This provides the defense the chance to confront the probable cause and proof that’s been illegally secured against the defendant.
After that, a pre-trial hearing is going to be arranged. At this hearing, the defense and prosecution will attempt to negotiate a plea bargain. If the plea bargain is not reached, the case is going to court.
Just how An Austin Felony Conviction Could Affect You
A conviction for felony will have an effect on your capability to secure work, acquire student loans, serve in the army, vote, and possess a gun, among other things. Also, it is much more challenging to expunge a felony conviction compared to a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. These types of cases are really serious and must be handled by a competent defense attorney.
Call Today For A Free Consultation.
Charged with a felony in Austin? To receive the legal representation you need during this difficult experience, make sure you call our law firm for a free of charge consultation.
Call today for a free case review.
It’s your chance to find out what you’re up against and how we could assist.
If you have been charged with a serious felony, such as aggravated robbery, murder, or rape, it is critical that there is a seasoned felony defense trial lawyer to handle your case and defend your rights.
Our Firm has a significant experience to defend your rights. We also have expertise in knowing how to take care of all possibilities that could develop during pre-trial hearings, jury trials, and sentencing hearings.
We are accustomed to local prosecutors and their means of conducting cases, and use that familiarity with law enforcement to protect our clients. In case you are facing a serious felony charge, and need an expert Austin trial attorney, call our office immediately.
We will successfully defend men and women in state and federal courts against all levels of felony charges including:
- Aggravated robbery
- Aggravated kidnapping
- Major drug crimes including narcotics trafficking
- Manslaughter
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Burglary of a house
- Burglary of a building
- Armed robbery, any crime committed with a firearm
- Rape
Contact an Austin criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.
We will use our experience and knowledge to build a vigorous defense against serious felony charges in Austin.