We handle a lot of drug cases from possession of marijuana to more serious cases involving possession or even delivery of controlled substances such as meth, heroin or cocaine. We also handle a great deal of assault cases from just minor assaults, assaults on family members all the way up to aggravated assaults with deadly weapons. We have even handled a few murder cases over the last few years.
We handle a great deal of theft cases from just minor shoplifting all the way up to major theft of cars and embezzlement. We also handle weapons cases and there are a great deal of airport weapon cases; in fact, there are more guns seized at the DFW international airport than any other airport in the nation. We have a lot of clients who have forgotten that they have their gun in their bag and then they get arrested at the airport.
We also handle sexual assault cases. There are a great deal of cases involving what may be consensual sex between adults but then at some point afterwards, there is some kind of remorse and somebody may feel like they were intoxicated and were not able to consent or maybe they do not remember as much. There are a great deal of those cases that are being investigated by the police now. A lot of those are never even filed or dismissed after they have been filed, but it usually starts with adults meeting online. A lot of the time, it is adults, one or both of them, who may be meeting online to have a clandestine meeting because it may be outside of the marriage.
Misdemeanors are classified as Class C, which is the level of a traffic ticket, punishable by fine only, usually a fine of up to $500. Class B misdemeanors are the lowest level of misdemeanors that carry a possible jail sentence up to six months and usually up to $2,000 fine. Those are DWIs and minor thefts and possessions of marijuana and such cases. Class A misdemeanors might be a DWI with a prior DWI or a DWI with a high blood test over 0.15, assaults on family members or assaults with bodily injury. Other topics such as possession of dangerous drugs, unlawful carrying of weapon, maybe another situation that a client becomes involved in as well.
Felonies are more serious crimes which carry a possible prison sentence. The lowest level of felony would be a state jail felony. This carries a possible prison sentence of one hundred and eighty days up to two years in a specific prison called a State Jail, separate from other prisons that house other felons but specific for that level of felony. The interesting thing about the state jail felony is any time in the state jail is what we call day for day, meaning there is no two for one credit, three for one credit, early release or a parole. If a sentence is one year in state jail, the person will actually serve a full calendar year in that state jail.
Probation is also an option for state jail offenses, the lowest level of a felony. The state jail offenses include things like credit card abuse, possession under one gram of a controlled substance such as heroin, cocaine, thefts that have a greater value level than just a misdemeanor. Third degree felonies are the next step up and carry a prison sentence of two to ten years and up to a $10,000 fine. It can also include other more serious or higher value theft, serious drug cases, possession, or delivery of drugs.
Then there are second degree felonies and with each step up, the possible prison sentence becomes greater; for second degree felonies, two to twenty years in prison; second degree felonies can include assaults on a public servant with a deadly weapon or more serious drug offenses, thefts of higher value and sexual assault cases. Then the first degree felonies are the most serious felony other than a capital felony and they carry punishment of five years up to life in prison and that includes murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated robbery and other very serious crimes.
Of course, the capital crime is capital murder, carrying life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
