At Barbieri Law Firm, P.C., our criminal defense attorneys represent clients across Texas who are facing serious felony, federal, sex crime, violent crime, and white-collar allegations.
Since 2000, we have paired criminal law leadership with in-house investigation and reputation-focused support for clients whose freedom, career, and name are on the line.
Our founding attorney has been Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2005, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys.
Criminal defense is the legal work of protecting someone who has been accused, arrested, investigated, or indicted for a crime. In Texas, that work goes beyond courtroom advocacy. A serious defense may involve independent investigation, evidence analysis, negotiation and reputation protection outside the courtroom.
Early defense matters because evidence can disappear, witnesses can forget, and prosecutors may begin shaping their theory within days.At Barbieri Law Firm, P.C., we build defense plans early, investigate independently, prepare for trial when needed, and treat every case as a defense of both freedom and reputation.
Case Result
Charges
- 5 Counts Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child (1st Degree Felony)
- 2 Counts Indecency with a Child by Contact (2nd Degree Felony)
Outcome
Protected the client from a potential life sentence and mandatory lifetime sex-offender registration through a major reduction and a deferred resolution.
Potential Sentence
Up to 99 years per count + lifetime sex-offender registration
How We Won
Our team conducted a deep investigation into thousands of pages of reports, SANE records, digital communications, and witness statements. We uncovered key inconsistencies in the complainant’s accounts and medical documentation that weakened the State’s theory. Our analysis exposed shifting statements, unsupported allegations, and credibility concerns that undercut the prosecution’s case. By presenting these issues strategically, we secured a reduction to a non–sex-offender-related offense and a deferred outcome. This resolution prevented a life-altering felony conviction and the lifelong consequences of registration.
Our Criminal Defense Services in Frisco, Texas
- Sex crimes defense
- Federal criminal defense
- White-collar crimes
- Assault and violent crimes
- Domestic violence defense
- Drug charge defense
- Felony defense
- Misdemeanor defense
- DWI defense
- Juvenile Crimes
Facing charges? Talk to a Frisco defense attorney today.
Why Choose Barbieri Law Firm, P.C.
Board Certified Lead Counsel
Heather Barbieri is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential held by under 1% of Texas attorneys.
In-House Investigation Team
Our investigators work alongside the legal team from day one, reconstructing timelines and exposing gaps in police work faster than firms that rely on outside vendors.
In-House Reputation Management
We protect more than the case file. Our PR support manages media coverage and shields your professional and personal reputation during and after proceedings.
Whole-Team Defense Model
Every case is built collaboratively, with attorneys, investigators, and strategists pressure-testing arguments together before we ever step into court.
Record Restoration Strategy
We plan for life after the case, pursuing expunctions and nondisclosures where eligible so a charge does not define your future.
Understanding Arraignments in Texas
An arraignment is a formal court hearing where the charges against you are read, your identity is confirmed, and you are asked to enter a plea. In Texas, the hearing can affect how your case moves forward, including plea entry, bond conditions, and future court settings.
In many cases, an attorney can help you understand whether a formal arraignment can be waived, whether a not guilty plea should be entered, and what deadlines or hearings come next.
This early stage is also an opportunity to begin reviewing the charges, requesting evidence, and building a defense strategy before prosecutors gain momentum.
What Are My Rights After an Arrest in Texas?
After an arrest in Texas, you still have the following constitutional rights:
- The right to remain silent,
- The right to an attorney
- The right to know the charges against you
- The right to avoid unlawful searches or questioning.
You do not have to explain your side of the story to police, answer investigative questions, or consent to a search without legal guidance.
For Texas clients, this matters because arrests can quickly trigger bond conditions, protective orders, license issues, employment concerns, and online records. What you say or do in the first hours after an arrest can affect the entire case.
Barbieri Law Firm helps clients protect their rights early, communicate appropriately with law enforcement and prosecutors, and avoid decisions that may weaken the defense before the case has even reached court.
Areas We Serve Across Texas
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fort Worth
- El Paso
- Arlington
- Corpus Christi
- Plano
- Lubbock
- Laredo
- Irving
- Garland
- Frisco
- McKinney
- Amarillo
- Grand Prairie
- Brownsville
- Killeen
- Pasadena
Should I Accept a Plea Deal in Texas?
A plea deal can feel like a way to make the case end faster, but speed should not be the only factor guiding your decision. In Texas, pleading guilty or no contest can follow you long after the court date is over.
Even when an offer sounds manageable, it may affect your record, career, professional license, immigration status, firearm rights, or future opportunities in ways that are not obvious at first.
Before accepting any plea, you need to know what the State can actually prove. Has the evidence been reviewed closely? Were your rights violated during the stop, search, arrest, or interrogation? Are there witnesses, forensic issues, digital evidence problems, or procedural mistakes that could weaken the prosecution’s case?
Barbieri Law Firm helps clients look beyond the immediate pressure of the moment. We evaluate the strength of the case, explain the risks of trial, and identify opportunities to challenge the evidence.
About Barbieri Law Firm, P.C.
Barbieri Law Firm, P.C. has defended high-stakes criminal cases across Texas since 2000. Based in Frisco and serving the DFW Metroplex, the firm focuses on clients whose freedom, careers, and reputations are all on the line at once.
The team brings more than 55 years of combined legal experience to every case, and our founding attorney, Heather Barbieri, is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential held by under 1% of Texas attorneys. T
What sets the firm apart is its team-based model. Defense attorneys, in-house investigators, and reputation management specialists work side by side from day one. Legal strategy, evidence reconstruction, and media response move in lockstep, so nothing falls through the cracks while the case is active.
We keep our caseloads intentionally limited, so that clients get direct attorney access, honest answers, and the discretion these matters demand.
Our Process for Texas Clients
1. Confidential Case Review
A private consultation to hear your account, review documents, and assess the facts without judgment.
2. Immediate Risk Assessment
We identify exposure, deadlines, and potential collateral consequences to your career, license, or reputation.
3. Independent Investigation
Our in-house investigator begins reconstructing timelines and pressure-testing the state’s evidence from day one.
4. Defense Strategy
The legal team builds a tailored strategy, including motions, professional needs, and negotiation or trial posture.
5. Reputation Planning
In-house PR support helps manage media exposure and protect your professional and personal standing.
6. Court Preparation
We prepare you for every appearance, brief witnesses, and refine arguments well before the courtroom.
7. Resolution or Trial
Whether through dismissal, negotiation, or trial, we pursue the strongest outcome the facts allow.
8. Record-Restoration Review
When eligible, we review options for expunction or nondisclosure under Texas law to help you move forward.
Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Defense in Texas
If I’m under investigation but haven’t been arrested or charged yet, should I hire a criminal defense lawyer right now or wait to see what happens?
Yes. Once detectives are circling, everything can become evidence, and waiting until charges are filed often means the narrative has already hardened against you. A lawyer who engages early can communicate with investigators on your behalf, preserve favorable evidence, and sometimes prevent charges from being filed at all. At Barbieri Law Firm, P.C., early intervention is a core part of how we work.
The police want me to come in for a “voluntary interview” and said I’m not a suspect. Is it safe to talk to them without a lawyer?
No. “Voluntary” interviews are still interrogations, and being told you are not a suspect does not mean you will not become one the moment you say something useful to them. Officers are trained to build cases through casual conversation, and statements you believe are harmless can be used to contradict you later
My case is getting attention on local news and social media. Can a defense lawyer actually do anything about the publicity, or do I just have to ride it out?
You do not have to ride it out. Media coverage shapes juror pools, employer decisions, and personal relationships long before a courtroom is involved, which is why narrative control matters. Most defense firms do not handle this at all, leaving clients to manage press on their own during the worst moment of their lives. We believe the legal case and the public case have to be defended together.
I have a professional license, security clearance, or executive position. How does a Texas criminal charge affect my career, even if I’m not convicted?
Significantly, and often before any verdict. Licensing boards in Texas, including those for medicine, law, nursing, finance, and education, frequently require self-reporting of arrests or charges, and many trigger investigations on their own. Employers with morality clauses, federal contractors, and clearance holders may take action based on the charge alone.
What does Board Certified in Criminal Law actually mean in Texas, and why does it matter when I’m choosing a defense lawyer?
In Texas, Board Certification in Criminal Law is granted by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is held by under one percent of attorneys in the state. It requires substantial trial experience, peer review from judges and other lawyers, and passing a rigorous exam, with recertification every five years. Heather Barbieri has been Board Certified since 2005.
If I’m offered a plea deal that sounds reasonable, should I just take it to avoid the risk and stress of a trial?
Not without a real analysis of the case against you. Prosecutors offer plea deals because they want certainty, not because the deal is necessarily in your interest, and what sounds reasonable on the surface can carry consequences that follow you for decades.
A trial-ready defense team evaluates the strength of the evidence, weaknesses in the state’s case, and whether suppression motions or independent investigation could change the leverage entirely
What’s the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in Texas, and can a felony charge ever be reduced to a misdemeanor?
In Texas, misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in county jail, while felonies carry state prison time ranging from 180 days to life depending on the degree.
Reductions from felony to misdemeanor are possible in some cases through negotiation, pretrial diversion, or weaknesses in the state’s evidence, but they are never automatic. The path to reduction usually depends on the quality of the defense investigation and the credibility the lawyer has built with prosecutors and the court.
What Clients Say About Barbieri Law Firm, P.C. in Texas
“From the top down everyone here is professional and 100% engaged in assisting you and fighting for you until the end.” – Sailingman
Clients feel the weight of a full team behind them, not a single attorney juggling files. Every member, from investigators to support staff, stays locked in until the case closes.
“She was extremely helpful through the whole process.” – Nikhil Patel
For clients facing charges for the first time, guidance matters as much as legal skill. The firm meets people in their most disoriented moments and walks them through every step with patience.
“They care about you and your reputation and will not back down.” – Lisa Greenberg
Reputation protection is built into the defense, not treated as an afterthought. The team defends both the case and the life behind it.
“The entire team helped to keep our minds at ease throughout the whole process.” – Sharon Authers
Families carry the stress of a criminal case alongside the client. Steady communication and discretion give parents, spouses, and loved ones the calm they need to get through it.
Local Resources in Texas for Criminal Defense
- Texas Judicial Branch
- Texas Court Records
- Texas Office of Court Administration
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure
- Texas Penal Code
- Texas Rules of Evidence
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas DPS Crime Records Division
- Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Texas DPS Driver License Division
- Texas Office of the Attorney General
- Texas Attorney General Crime Victim Services
- Texas Law Help
- Texas State Law Library
- State Bar of Texas
- Texas Indigent Defense Commission
Talk With a Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer
When your freedom and reputation are on the line, the first 48 hours matter most. Barbieri Law Firm, P.C. offers a confidential consultation and urgent case review for clients facing serious or high-visibility charges across North Texas.
Our team listens carefully, assesses the exposure, and outlines the next steps with discretion. Early engagement gives our investigators and attorneys more room to shape the outcome before charges harden.
Reach out to request a private consultation with a Texas criminal defense lawyer. Every conversation is handled with the confidentiality the stakes demand.
