Immediate access to powerful legal support is essential if you have been charged with a crime in North Texas. The professional criminal defense lawyers at Pelley Law Office, L.L.P., in Plano stand ready to defend your rights and secure your future. Our team brings decades of shared experience to navigate the Texas legal system thoroughly. You can reach us at 972-608-0335 now for a free consultation to start developing your defense before time runs out.
Why Choose The Plano Criminal Attorneys from Pelley Law Office, L.L.P.?
Our team at Pelley Law Office, L.L.P. serves as passionate advocates to provide every client with a strong defense. We have positive results for our clients, demonstrating our passion for preserving your rights.
Our criminal defense lawyers in Plano dedicate relentless effort to provide our clients with the powerful representation and individualized attention they rightfully deserve. Our team can walk you through your legal options while developing your defense strategy and fighting relentlessly to achieve optimal results, regardless of whether you face misdemeanor or felony charges.
Our firm is a respected institution in Plano with extensive experience assisting thousands of clients confidently through their criminal charges. Our commitment includes transparent communication with clients as well as trial-ready representation and empathetic service. Choosing an experienced criminal lawyer in Plano, Texas, can give you the security you need, and Pelley Law Office, L.L.P. delivers.
Our Criminal Defense Lawyers Understand Crimes in Texas
The criminal justice system in Texas can be complex. The classification of crimes into misdemeanors or felonies depends on their severity. Lighter penalties accompany misdemeanors, and these offenses can severely affect your personal life as well as your professional opportunities and liberties. Felonies can lead to long-term jail time, including life imprisonment, as well as monetary penalties, loss of rights, and lifelong criminal records.
Our criminal defense lawyer Plano team is fully versed in Texas criminal statutes and can guide you through each phase of your case. We have helped many in Plano and the surrounding area and are ready to assist you, too.
Common Types of Crimes
At Pelley Law Office, L.L.P., our Plano criminal attorneys have significant experience in defending against diverse criminal charges. Here are some of the more common cases we handle:
Assault
In Texas, the definition of assault covers actions from mere verbal threats to attacks that cause severe physical harm. Physical contact with another person is not necessary for charges because merely threatening someone with harm is sufficient. Aggravated assault charges arise when deadly weapons are used or serious injuries occur, and these offenses face tougher sentencing, including extended prison time.
Punching someone could be considered assault. If a person lunges at another person in an attempt to punch or tackle them and the alleged victim moves out of the way so they avoid being hit, this can still count as assault, as the reasonably believed threat of harm was present.
Domestic Violence
Charges for domestic violence carry emotional weight and affect your family life, job status, and public image before any trial has occurred. Under Texas law, domestic violence encompasses physical abuse and the behavior of threats, stalking, and harassment when directed at current or past partners, as well as roommates and family members. Our criminal lawyer Plano, Texas team is experienced in defending against false accusations and can work to protect your rights and relationships.
Sex Crimes
In the criminal justice system, sex crimes stand out as the offenses that attract the highest level of social stigma. Accusations of misconduct can ruin your reputation and create irreversible consequences, such as sex offender registration, regardless of their legitimacy. We defend clients against charges including:
- Indecent exposure
- Sexual assault
- Child pornography
- Rape
- Statutory rape
- Public lewdness
- Failure to register as a sex offender
Expunction
The existence of a criminal record can restrict your future possibilities even after you have finished your case. When you meet eligibility criteria, we can assist with expunction applications to eliminate public access to your arrest and case information.
While some cases are ineligible, others may qualify you for expunction. You may be eligible if your charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, or you completed a diversion program. A Plano criminal attorney can look at your situation and know if expunction is an option for you.
Drug Crimes
Drug-related offenses are aggressively prosecuted in Texas. Legal penalties apply for possessing either marijuana in any amount or prescription drugs without proper authorization. We defend against:
- Possession of controlled substances
- Possession with intent to distribute
- Drug trafficking
- Drug manufacturing
We defend against charges involving various drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, and heroin. Our criminal lawyer Plano, Texas team fights against evidence exclusion by confronting unlawful search and seizure methods and unreliable lab findings.
Penalties for Common Crimes in Texas
Texas adopts a harsh stance on criminal activity, which leads to penalties that range from probation to extended prison sentences, while also including fines. A conviction for either misdemeanor or felony offenses can lead to permanent repercussions that impact your personal liberty as well as your job prospects and public image. Engaging experienced criminal defense attorneys from Plano who know how to reduce or remove your penalties is necessary to help fight for your future.
Misdemeanor vs. Felony Penalties
Texas classifies criminal offenses into two main categories, which include misdemeanors and felonies. Although misdemeanors seem less severe, they can lead to incarceration, particularly when they are Class A or B misdemeanors. Even minor offenses, including disorderly conduct under Class C misdemeanors, have the potential to leave permanent criminal records.
Felony convictions may result in long prison sentences, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty in severe cases. Capital murder and similar grave offenses can lead to life imprisonment without parole or execution as penalties. The severity of your offense, combined with your prior criminal history, often results in an escalated charge and extended punishment range.
Additional Penalties
The legal penalties are just the beginning. If you receive a conviction for violent, drug-related, or sexual offenses, you can face extensive damage to many other aspects of your life. A conviction might result in the loss of professional licenses while also leading to employment denial and housing search difficulties.
Some convictions carry mandatory sex offender registration. Certain convictions might prevent you from purchasing firearms while also removing your voting rights and jeopardizing your parental custody rights. These collateral consequences can remain with you well beyond completion of your court-mandated sentence. Our criminal defense lawyers in Plano protect clients by concentrating on their future beyond their current charges.
Repeat Offenses and Enhanced Sentencing
Texas legal statutes enable judges to apply enhanced sentencing if specific criteria are satisfied. Using a weapon during a crime or attacking vulnerable individuals, such as children or the elderly, can lead to harsher penalties.
When someone commits a second domestic violence offense, they may face felony charges despite their first offense being classified as a misdemeanor. Drug offenses and multiple DWIs can trigger escalated charges, along with extended prison time and mandatory minimum sentences.
An experienced criminal lawyer in Plano, Texas, can help you avoid maximum sentencing through reduced penalties or alternative sentencing options. Our team works hard to dispute enhancements and examine evidence legality while pursuing pre-trial diversion or probation whenever possible.
What To Do If You’re Charged With a Crime in Plano
Facing criminal charges can be both confusing and overwhelming. Your actions following an arrest can greatly influence your case, regardless of whether you are facing the criminal justice system for the first time or have dealt with charges before. The most important thing to remember is that your rights protect you, and you have support.
Your initial and essential action should be to maintain silence. Law enforcement officials cannot compel you to respond to their questions before a lawyer is present. Statements you make to law enforcement can become part of the prosecution’s evidence in court, regardless of how informal or innocuous they may seem. Do not speak to authorities until you have reached out to a reputable criminal lawyer in Plano, Texas.
Our team of experienced Plano criminal attorneys can intervene promptly to safeguard your rights while investigating your arrest details and start forming a solid defense. Early involvement maximizes our ability to dispute charges and suppress evidence while pursuing dismissal options. Our dedicated criminal defense lawyers in Plano are here to fight for you.
Building a Strong Defense Strategy
Every client receives personalized attention at Pelley Law Office, L.L.P. because we understand that no two cases are the same. We start our strategy by conducting a comprehensive fact analysis and reviewing police procedures, followed by evidence collection. Some common defenses include:
Mistaken Identity
Mistaken identity is often used as a defense when eyewitness testimony plays a key role in criminal cases. Under stressful conditions or poor visibility, victims or witnesses may incorrectly accuse someone of committing a crime.
The combination of surveillance footage, DNA evidence, and alibi witnesses helps demonstrate your innocence by showing you did not commit the crime. Our Plano criminal defense attorneys have successfully defended numerous clients who were wrongly accused by gathering and presenting powerful evidence to demonstrate their innocence.
Alibi
The alibi defense demonstrates that you were located elsewhere during the time of the crime, proving you couldn’t have committed it. A defense based on an alibi typically presents witness accounts alongside evidence such as time-stamped receipts, GPS information, video footage from security cameras, and workplace documentation. A credible alibi challenges the prosecution’s timeline and can result in the dismissal of charges or complete exoneration.
Self-Defense or Defending Others
Under Texas law, people can use reasonable force to protect themselves or other people from immediate danger. When facing charges for assault, battery, or homicide, self-defense or defense of others might serve as an effective legal strategy, particularly when you acted against a credible threat. Legal standards usually demand that the force applied matches the threatened level of danger.
Lack of Intent
Texas criminal law demands that certain offenses show specific intent, which means the accused should have performed the illegal action knowingly or with purpose. A valid defense can arise if you lacked criminal intent or were unaware that your actions violated the law. For example, a person who unknowingly held a friend’s bag with illegal drugs inside might not be considered guilty because they lacked knowledge of its contents.
Violation of Constitutional Rights
The charges against you may decrease in severity or get dismissed if your rights were violated during your arrest or investigation. The Fourth Amendment requires law enforcement to obtain a valid warrant or establish probable cause before conducting property searches or taking evidence. Our criminal defense lawyers in Plano are prepared to file a motion to suppress any evidence that was obtained through an unlawful search or seizure, which can make it inadmissible in court.
The Statute of Limitations in Texas
Texas law requires prosecutors to bring charges within a specific time limit defined as the statute of limitations. Prosecutors must adhere to the statute of limitations deadline because missing it often results in dismissal of the charges. Generally speaking, some of the most common limiting statutes include the following:
- 2 years for misdemeanors
- Up to 7 years for theft, depending on the amount stolen
- 10 years for certain sexual assaults
- No limit for murder or manslaughter
Typically, the statute of limitations begins to run from the moment the crime takes place. The law may postpone the commencement of the time clock in scenarios when discovering the crime proves challenging or when certain victims may be too frightened to report it. This is especially true in cases involving children. A criminal lawyer in Plano, Texas, can assess your case to challenge whether it meets the statute of limitations deadline.
Speak to a Criminal Lawyer Plano, Texas
Pelley Law Office, L.L.P. stands prepared to defend your rights regardless of whether you are experiencing your first arrest or dealing with previous convictions. Plano’s team of experienced criminal defense lawyers can support you through each stage of your legal journey. Our law office fights hard to turn second chances and due process into reality while delivering justice.
Why Clients Trust Pelley Law Office, L.L.P.
With decades of criminal defense work behind us, Pelley Law Office, L.L.P. brings together a team of attorneys, investigators, and support staff committed to protecting your rights. Here’s why so many clients across Plano and Collin County rely on us during one of the most critical times in their lives:
- Decades of Experience: We’ve been defending clients in state and federal courts since 1974. That deep knowledge of the law, combined with insight from former FBI special agents and investigators, allows us to build stronger, faster, and more strategic defenses.
- Proven Results: Our track record includes dismissals, no-bills, and reduced charges in serious felony cases. When your future is on the line, working with a firm that has achieved positive results in similar situations can make all the difference.
- A History of Client Trust: We’ve helped thousands of people across North Texas face criminal charges with confidence. That kind of volume isn’t just a number; it’s a reflection of the trust our community places in us and the outcomes we’ve delivered.
Get your free consultation today by contacting us at 972-608-0335. Your likelihood of achieving success increases with appropriate and immediate legal representation.
Additional Resources
- Criminal Defense Frequently Asked Questions
- What Should I Do If I’m Facing Criminal Charges in Texas?
- 3 Things Not to Do if The Police Want to Question You
- Burden of Proof in a Criminal Case
- What Are the Penalties for Aggravated Robbery in Plano, TX?
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