Felony Criminal Defense Lawyers in Texas

Your best defense against Felony Charges

When you're facing felony criminal charges, having the right defense team can make all the difference. We know how distressing it can be to get arrested or learn you've been accused of a serious crime. At Barbieri Law Firm, we specialize in navigating the toughest cases, where the stakes couldn't be higher. Our team understands how to fight felony charges in the state of Texas, and how to deliver results. Our attorneys leverage their expertise, resources, and dedication to fiercely defend every client. By deliberately limiting our caseloads, Barbieri Law Firm ensures that every client gets the full attention of our attorneys on their case. This allows us to build personal connections, uncover critical details, and craft powerful, personalized defense strategies that other firms simply can't match. Our lawyers have successfully represented clients facing felony charges ranging from evading arrest and unlawful restraint to murder. We've won dismissals and secured misdemeanor reductions.

We Defend Clients Against All Felony Charges

If you're facing felony charges in Texas, our lawyers provide compassionate support and relentless dedication to protecting your future. Types of Felonies We Defend Our firm defends clients against all types of felony charges, including:

• Evading Arrest or Detention
• Unlawful Restraint
• Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon
• Injury to a Child

When accusations first surface, the most important thing you can do is find skilled lawyers with a reputation for success and experience defending serious felony charges.

Strategic Defense

In Texas, defending against drug charges involves various strategic approaches, each tailored to the specifics of the case. Here are some key defense strategies:

• Challenging Evidence and Procedural Errors (Unlawful Search and Seizure, Chain of Custody issues, Improper Testing)
• Affirmative defenses (Entrapment, Duress, Necessity)
• Deferred Adjudication
• Negotiation and Plea Bargaining
• Mistake of Fact
• Intoxication Defense
• Constitutional Violations

Our lawyers guide you through every step of the criminal process, from arraignments and pretrial motions to trial strategy.

Our Process

Free Confidential Consultation

We start with a one-on-one conversation where we listen, ask key questions, and begin assessing your legal situation.

Case Review & Early Action

Our in-house investigator reviews police reports, statements, and any available evidence, eliminating the delays and added costs of outsourcing. If you’re under investigation, we may be able to intervene early.

Strategic Legal Plan

Every assault case is different. Once we understand the details, we develop a personalized legal strategy focused on dismissal, reduction, or acquittal, depending on what’s possible in your case.

Proactive Defense

We don’t wait for the DA to act. Our lawyers file motions, challenge weak evidence, and negotiate aggressively.

Courtroom Advocacy or Case Resolution

Whether through a favorable plea deal or a full trial, we fight for the best outcome possible. You’ll always know where your case stands, what’s coming next, and what your options are.

Felony Lawyers: Frequently Asked Questions

How Our Felony Criminal Defense Lawyers Defend You

In Texas, any claim that a crime was committed – whether true or not – can result in long-term damage to your reputation and future. Because the stakes are so high, you need an experienced legal team that knows how to dismantle the prosecution’s case—and that’s exactly what we do at Barbieri Law Firm. Here’s how we can help:

• Compassionate Guidance: We know felony accusations can be stressful, so we keep you informed, supported, and prepared—every step in the process.
• Thorough Early Investigation: We gather evidence fast—texts, surveillance, digital records—to challenge false claims before charges are filed.
• Strategic Communication with Prosecutors: Our attorneys know how to present exculpatory facts early, often stopping cases before they start.
• Reputation Defense: False accusations carry stigma—we fight to clear your name both in court and in the court of public opinion.

Whether it’s cross-examining unqualified witnesses or dismantling flawed forensic testing, our goal is clear: get charges dismissed, reduced, or defeated in court.

What to Expect in a Texas Criminal Defense Case

We know being accused of criminal charges can feel scary and confusing. But you don’t have to face it alone. You may be investigated long before you’re arrested. That’s where an expert criminal defense lawyer can come in to help mount a defense before the State decides to file charges. If the State files charges, a criminal case then moves through the court system in a systematic way. Here are the usual stages in a criminal case:

1. Investigation – Police or others gather information
2. Pre-Filing – The case might still be under review
3. Case Filed – Charges are officially made
4. Trial or Plea – Your case goes to court, or a deal is made
5. Case Disposition – A decision is made
6. Closing – Your case is wrapped up

Click the button below to download our Legal Process Roadmap resource.

If You’re Under Investigation

If your case is still under investigation, we may be able to intervene before charges are even filed.

If your case is still in the investigation stage, it’s a crucial time to have a lawyer involved. Your attorney will stay in contact with law enforcement to monitor developments and prepare you for what may come next. If charges are likely, we’ll help you make a plan—so if an arrest is coming, you can handle it calmly and with a clear strategy.

Even before you step into a courtroom, your legal team is already working. Our paralegals regularly check with the court to track whether charges have been filed or if a grand jury hearing is scheduled. We’ll keep you updated on every new development—so nothing catches you off guard.

In-House Investigator for Superior Case Management

A seasoned 36-year law enforcement veteran now leads our investigations team. She will handle everything from gathering evidence to preparing reports and providing testimony, working directly with our legal team to tailor strategies and ensure the best defense possible for our clients.

• With an in-house investigator, we eliminate the delays and added costs of outsourcing, enabling faster action and more precise case strategies that lead to better outcomes for our clients.

How Charges Are Filed in Texas

There are two ways charges typically move forward:

• By Information: Common for misdemeanors and less serious offenses. The DA files the charge directly.
• By Indictment: Used for felonies. A grand jury reviews the case and decides if there’s enough evidence to move forward.

Once charges are filed.

Once charges are filed, you become the defendant and your case is assigned a cause number and a court date.

Here’s a breakdown of key court appearances in most criminal cases:

• Arraignment or Initial Appearance: Your first court date. The judge reads the charges, and you enter a plea—guilty or not guilty. Evidence sharing begins here.
• Status Conferences / Announcement Settings: These check-in hearings track progress. Your lawyer may be negotiating with the DA or still reviewing the evidence.
• Pretrial Hearings: Your attorney may ask the judge to dismiss weak evidence or challenge how it was obtained.

Your Case, Your Decision

After building your defense, your case will reach a decision point:

• Plea Deal: The DA may offer a deal. We’ll explain the pros, the risks, and your options clearly. You stay in control—we’re here to guide, not pressure.
• Trial: If you reject the plea, we’ll prepare for trial before a judge or jury, where your case is fully argued and defended.

Disposition Stage: The Final Step

This is where the case is resolved—either by a plea agreement, a jury verdict, or a judge’s ruling after trial. It’s the most serious part of the process, and where everything we’ve done comes to a head.

Real Results: Domestic violence charges

Aggressive Defense in High-Stakes Aggravated Assault Case

Our client, a woman facing a second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge, acted in self-protection when her son’s acquaintance banged at her door. The accuser claimed she attacked him with a knife multiple times. The stakes were extremely high, with potential prison time looming.

Senior trial attorney Leah Jackson conducted a thorough case assessment and submitted detailed findings to the prosecutor, demonstrating that the evidence did not support the accuser’s story. Multiple negotiation sessions took place, and we prepared diligently for trial to ensure the client was fully protected. Through strategic advocacy and careful negotiation, the prosecutor dismissed the case before trial, safeguarding our client from severe criminal penalties.

No conviction. No trial. Client’s freedom and reputation fully protected.

Turning Prosecutorial Insight into Case Dismissals

When a client was facing a felony Assault Family Violence charge, managing attorney Carrie Thomas—a former Chief Felony Prosecutor for Collin County—used her deep knowledge of how assault cases are built and challenged the State’s assumptions early. Through strategic negotiations and a detailed review of the evidence, she convinced the prosecutor to refuse the case entirely due to insufficient proof. This is the power of having a former prosecutor on your side—someone who knows how the other side thinks, and how to shut a case down before it ever reaches a courtroom.

Did you know?

Not all felonies mean prison time.

In Texas, even some felonies—like certain drug or theft charges—may qualify for probation, diversion programs, or deferred adjudication, especially for first-time offenders.

Some felonies are “enhanceable”— meaning your next charge could carry even harsher penalties.

Repeat offenses, even in different categories, can trigger habitual offender laws, stacking decades of prison time.

Call Barbieri Law Firm—Because the Right Assault Lawyers Can Change Your Life.

Criminal accusations don’t just threaten your legal record—they threaten your entire life. Don’t wait. When you’re facing criminal charges in any of the counties in North, East, South, or Central Texas, you need a legal team that knows how to win and how to protect you while doing it. Ready to Fight Back? Call Barbieri Law Firm Today. Let our seasoned criminal defense lawyers show you what real defense looks like. Call us now or schedule a confidential consultation. We’re the team prosecutors warn each other about. Call 972-424-1902.