Practice Areas

Felony

Paul F. Tu is a former Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney with extensive trial experience and legal knowledge. Mr. Tu has handled hundreds of cases, as a prosecutor and as a defense attorney, covering nearly all misdemeanors and felonies. He has experience in every Criminal County and District Court in Fort Bend County.

Which attorney you decide to hire can make the difference between jail time or going free; or paying a higher fine or little or no fine. We can assure you that we will put our experience to work defending the charges against you and protecting your valuable rights. Remember, just because you have been accused of a crime does not mean you are guilty.

Classification of Felonies

There are five classifications of Felonies in Texas, starting with the most serious.

  1. Capitol Murder
  2. 1st Degree
  3. 2nd Degree
  4. 3rd Degree
  5. State Jail Felony

Types of Felonies

  1. Felony DWI – If someone has been accused of driving while intoxicated (DWI) for a third time the State may enhance the charge to a third degree felony. The range of punishment if found guilty is two to ten years in prison, all of which can probated. However, in most cases it will be necessary to serve a minimum of 30 days in jail as a condition of getting probation.  For more information see our discussions about DWI’s under the DWI section.
  2. Intoxication Assault – If someone, as a result of that instance of intoxication, causes serious bodily injury to another, the State may charge the accused with intoxication assault. The intoxication must have caused the accident; however, the accident can be by accident or mistake. It is also likely that the State will allege that the automobile was a deadly weapon thereby increasing the potential penalty of the accused. For more information see our discussions about DWI’s under the DWI section.
  3. Intoxication Manslaughter – If someone, as a result of that instance of intoxication, causes the death of another, the State may charge the accused with intoxication manslaughter. The intoxication must have caused the accident; however, the accident can be accident or mistake. It is also likely that the State will allege that the automobile was a deadly weapon thereby increasing the potential penalty of the accused. See our discussions about DWI’s under the DWI section.
  4. Injury to a Child – The offense of injury to a child is also known as “Shaken Baby Syndrome”. Shaken Baby Syndrome is usually diagnosed after a young infant dies or is admitted to the hospital with severe injuries. Injuries, which commonly occur, are intracranial hemorrhage, bilateral retinal hemorrhage, or various other injuries. All possible explanations for the injuries that will exculpate the accused must be investigated. Possible explanations include: someone else other than the accused caused the injuries, the intracranial hemorrhage may have been caused by an overdose of a decongestant containing phenylpropanolamine or the injuries were the result of an accident. An important issue in nearly all shaken baby cases is the timing of the injuries. If the possible timing of the injuries can be expanded it will increase the number of people that had contact with the child and therefore increase the number of people that may have caused the injuries. There are too many scenarios to discuss in any detail, suffice it to say, that in most cases it is advantageous to have an expert review the medical records of the injured child.
  5. Possession of Cocaine – In most drug possession cases there are a few issues that predominate. One is whether the officers conducted a proper search or arrest, the other issue is whether the prosecution can link the drugs to the accused. It is not enough that the drugs were near the accused. Both of these issues can normally be addressed with a motion to suppress.
  6. Misapplication of Fiduciary Property – A person commits an offense if he intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly misapplies property he holds as a fiduciary. Generally, a fiduciary is someone held in a position of trust. If the misapplied property has a value in excess of $1,500.00 it is classified as a felony.
  7. Other Felonies – Because of the large number and various types of other felonies it impossible to describe in detail the many issues particular to the various felonies.

We handle felony cases in Fort Bend County, Harris County and throughout Texas. Please Contact Us, If You or Your Family Needs Help