State Criminal Defense
Most individuals charged with a crime punishable by jail time are charged with violations of state criminal law.
What is a State Crime?
Prosecutions of state law crimes are handled by District and County Attorney’s Offices throughout the State of Texas. Violations of Texas state law range from DWI to assault, from theft to capital murder, and all things in between. The punishments for state law crimes can be anything from deferred adjudication to a life sentence in the Texas Department of Justice – Institutional Division without parole. In the most serious capital cases, the state may seek the death penalty.
Texas Criminal Punishment Ranges
Most individuals charged with a crime punishable by jail time are charged with violations of state criminal law.
Texas state criminal charges are categorized by degree as follows:
Misdemeanor
Offense Level
Class C Misdemeanor
Class B Misdemeanor
Class A Misdemeanor
Punishment
Up to a $500 fine, no jail time
Up to 180 days in county jail, up to a $2,000 fine
Up to 1 year in county jail, up to a $4,000 fine
Felonies:
Offense Level
State Jail Felony
Third Degree Felony
Second Degree Felony
First Degree Felony
Capital Felony
Punishment
180 days to 2 years in a state jail, up to a $10,000 fine
2 to 10 years in the Texas Department of Justice – Institutional Division, up to a $10,000 fine
2 to 20 years in the Texas Department of Justice – Institutional Division, up to a $10,000 fine
5 to 99 years in the Texas Department of Justice – Institutional Division, up to a $10,000 fine
Life without parole in the Texas Department of Justice – Institutional Division or death by lethal injection
Depending upon the crime and a person’s background, pretrial diversion, deferred adjudication, or probation may be an option.
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer
As a former Harris County Assistant District Attorney, David A. Nachtigall has extensive experience with and knowledge of state criminal law violations. David has a deep understanding of how prosecutors build their cases, what they look for, and where they may make errors. As a criminal defense attorney, David has represented individuals charged with state law violations in many offense areas including (but not limited to) DWI, theft, drug crimes, assault, robbery, burglary, domestic violence, robbery, and sexual assault.
Testimonials
“I was recently charged with assault on a peace officer which is a felon charge. I have never been in trouble with the law in my life. I was raised in a strict catholic house I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I hired David after dealing with a bad lawyer. He picked up the slack with no problem. David did everything in his power to get the charges dropped. I left with a misdemeanor charge and 6 months probation. David answered ALL of my phone calls & emails. He showed up to every court setting and didn’t send anyone for him. I would highly recommend David to anyone.”