If you have listened to the news at all within the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard something about Ferguson and the death of Michael Brown. There’s a lot of speculation going on about what actually occurred that night, but regardless of all that one thing is clear: things can escalate quickly and have immeasurable consequences.
Breaking down the sequence of events, there were several points during the escalation of proceedings where a criminal defense lawyer could have helped. The whole incident began with a case of petty theft that quickly was elevated to threatening the store clerk (classified as aggravated assault). What could have just ended there with charges that are easily dealt with has now become a potential criminal charge against the officer.
For the initial theft charge, someone in the state of Texas would have been facing this: a class C misdemeanor for property value less than $20, including a fine of $500. Aggravated assault charges without the use of a deadly weapon could earn jail time up to 30 days, followed by community supervision. Depending on whether or not the officer is indicted he could be facing anything from manslaughter charges to second degree murder. According to Texas law, what most other states classify as a “second degree murder” charge is considered a first degree felony. This carries a sentence of 5 to 99 years including up to Life in prison with a fine up to $10,000. The first two charges of theft and aggravated assault are much easier to defend against and obviously carry less severe consequences as a result.
In the heat of the moment, it is very easy to lose your cool and become reactive instead of proactive. When faced with a sticky situation or when you find yourself in trouble, its best to comply with police directions as to not cause any additional problems for yourself. Being arrested for a crime is serious and with such high stakes, you don’t want to leave your future to just anyone.
When in that position, you want to make sure that you have an experienced attorney who practices criminal law to be on your side. Attorney Thomas Locke has over thirteen years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer and is passionate about what he does. Call Tom at (832) 308-7623 if you need someone who will fight wholeheartedly for your case.