
Being charged with a violent crime can have severe legal and personal consequences that you’ll want to do everything in your power to avoid. Sometimes, the accusation alone can cause irreparable damage to your life in ways you may not have expected. A conviction can result in a criminal record that will follow you forever, affecting your personal life and job options. It’s important to hire an Irving violent crime lawyer to help you determine your next steps.
The legal team at Harris & Harris Law Group, PLLC, understands how hard it can be to stand up for yourself in a situation where you may have already been publicly vilified and deemed guilty before being proven innocent. An experienced Irving violent crime attorney can help you defend yourself with a sound legal strategy. You’ll want someone with knowledge of the state’s violent crime laws to help you avoid the violent crime penalties you could face if convicted. We can help.
The most important decision you can make for your case is to hire a violent crime lawyer. You want to be sure that you have the right kind of legal help on your side, particularly someone who appreciates how high the stakes are for you and can offer you consistently sound legal advice. At Harris & Harris Law Group, PLLC, we have decades of experience we can bring to your case, including 10 years as prosecutors. We know how the legal system works from both sides.
Violent crimes are not rare occurrences in Texas or even nationwide. According to recent statistical data from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, there were over 82,000 convictions for violent crimes throughout the state in 2024. Additional data puts the violent crime in Texas at 389 per 100,000 people. Nationwide, the FBI’s crime statistics show that a violent crime occurred in the U.S. every 25.9 seconds in 2024.
Violent crime charges in Irving are handled through the Dallas County court system, and felony cases are generally heard at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. A violent crime charge can be overwhelming to deal with alone, especially if you’ve never faced criminal charges before.
When you are arrested for a violent crime in Irving, you may think that your case has already ended and you can’t fight back. That’s simply not the case. An arrest is not the end. It’s only the beginning of what could be an emotional and unpredictable legal fight. You don’t have to say anything to the police without your lawyer present. Let your lawyer speak to the police for you and start working on your defense
Here are some potential defenses:
Generally, the most common violent crime in Texas is assault, including simple and aggravated assault. Assault can be premeditated or the result of rage. Either way, you can end up serving a significant prison sentence for assault, depending on the details of your case. If the assault involves the use of a deadly weapon or results in permanent physical damage to the victim, it’s likely you could suffer severe legal penalties.
For a crime to be considered a violent felony in Texas, it must involve the use of deadly force or the credible threat of violent force. Common violent felonies in Texas include aggravated assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, domestic violence, and murder. All of these crimes can be charged as felonies, likely resulting in prison time if convicted.
The penalties you could face for a violent crime conviction in Irving depend entirely on the nature of the offense, your prior criminal history, and whether the crime involved certain aggravating factors. The more serious the crime, the higher the penalties. If you are convicted of murder, there’s a strong chance you could receive a life sentence or the death penalty.
Yes, you should hire a defense lawyer. The last thing you want is to face a violent crime charge without legal representation. You don’t want to face a seasoned prosecutor on your own, especially if they’re seeking to make an example out of you to deter future defendants. The right lawyer can often mean the difference between losing and winning your case.
At Harris & Harris Law Group, PLLC, we can help you build a strong defense strategy and give you a fighting chance to overcome this. Contact us to speak with an Irving violent crime lawyer who can help.