I’ve spent my career defending people in the toughest courtrooms in Texas. And I’ll tell you this: a murder charge is the most serious situation a human being can face. Your life is literally on the line. The state wants a conviction, and they will throw everything they have at you.
But being charged is not the same as being guilty. Not even close.
Let I walk you through what you’re up against — and what we can do about it.
Texas Doesn’t Play Around With Homicide Charges
The Texas Penal Code breaks criminal homicide into four categories, and where your case lands matters enormously.
Capital Murder sits at the top. We’re talking about killings with aggravating factors — murdering a peace officer, killing multiple people, or a death that occurs during a robbery or kidnapping. The state can seek the death penalty here. That’s not a threat. That’s Texas law.
Murder is a first-degree felony. If the state proves you intentionally or knowingly caused someone’s death, you’re looking at 5 to 99 years — or life. I’ve seen families destroyed by that sentencing range. It is not abstract.
Manslaughter kicks in when the death was reckless, not intentional. Still a second-degree felony. Still 2 to 20 years.
Criminally Negligent Homicide involves a failure to perceive a risk a reasonable person would have caught. It’s the least severe — but it can still put you in a state jail facility for up to two years.
The charge determines the battlefield. Knowing which one you’re on shapes everything we do next.
The Defenses That Actually Work in Texas
Here’s something prosecutors don’t want you sitting across from a skilled defense lawyer who knows how to use these:
Self-Defense and Stand Your Ground. Texas has some of the strongest self-defense laws in the country. If you reasonably believed force was immediately necessary to protect yourself, you may have been completely within your rights. The Castle Doctrine goes even further — in your home, your vehicle, your place of business, the law often presumes your use of deadly force was justified. No duty to retreat. None.
Lack of Intent. Murder requires intent. If this was a tragic accident — no intentional act, no knowing conduct — then a murder charge doesn’t fit. We reconstruct the scene, bring in experts, and show the jury exactly how things unfolded.
Mistaken Identity. I cannot stress this enough: eyewitness testimony is unreliable. People get it wrong, especially in violent, chaotic situations. If the forensic evidence doesn’t put you there, we attack the identification. And if you have an alibi, we build the case around it.
Defense of Others. Texas law allows you to use deadly force to protect someone else. If you stepped in because you sincerely believed another person’s life was in danger, that matters legally.
Insanity. This is a narrow defense, but it exists for a reason. If a severe mental disease or defect prevented you from knowing your conduct was wrong at the time it happened, we explore it — with the psychiatric evaluations and expert testimony it requires.
What the Right Attorney Actually Does
This is not a situation for a public defender stretched across 200 cases, and it is certainly not a situation you handle yourself.
I dig into the evidence independently. Law enforcement builds a case to convict. I build a case to defend. That means chasing surveillance footage, tracking down witnesses the police ignored, and tearing apart forensic reports line by line.
When the evidence warrants it, I negotiate. Sometimes the facts support a manslaughter charge, not murder. That difference could mean decades of your life. A good negotiation is not an indication of weakness — it’s strategy.
And when we go to trial, I fight. I cross-examine the state’s witnesses until the inconsistencies are impossible for a jury to ignore. I convert complex forensic science into plain language. And I make sure that jury sees you as a human being — not just a case number.
Your Next Move Matters More Than You Know
From the moment you’re arrested, the clock is running. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. The state is already building its case against you.
Here’s the most important thing I can tell you right now: stay silent. Don’t talk to the police. Don’t talk to friends about it. Don’t post anything on social media. The only person you talk to is your attorney, and those conversations are protected.
If you or someone you love is facing a homicide charge in Texas, call me. Today. Not tomorrow. Let’s sit down, go through the facts, and start fighting back.
Your freedom is worth it. Let’s protect it.
