Houston Murder Defense Lawyers

Also Representing Individuals Accused of Manslaughter

If you are facing a murder or manslaughter charge in Texas, your life is on the line. No state in the nation has penalties as harsh as Texas, and no state prosecutes homicide charges more vigorously. Prosecutors in this state are under heavy pressure to assume you are guilty first and sort out the facts later. If you or a loved one think you may be facing murder charges, get the most aggressive legal representation you can find.

Call (713) 597-2221 to schedule an initial consultation with our Houston murder defense attorneys today!

Homicide Categories in Texas

In Texas there are four ways prosecutors can charge a homicide:

• Murder
• Manslaughter: a person can be charged with manslaughter in Texas for causing the death of another person through reckless behavior
• Negligent homicide: a person can be charged with negligent homicide for causing a death through criminally negligent behavior
• Capital murder

What Constitutes Capital Murder in Texas?

Capital murder is by far the most serious of these charges. In Texas, the prosecution can seek the death penalty in a capital murder case, and often does.

Capital murder can be charged after a number of fact situations in Texas. A person can be charged with capital murder for a variety of circumstances, some of these include:

• Killing a police officer or firefighter who is in the line of duty and whom the defendant knows is a police officer or firefighter
• Intentionally killing a person while committing one of several specific felonies, including kidnapping, burglary, robbery or aggravated sexual assault.
• Murder-for-hire (both the person who allegedly committed the killing as well as the person who allegedly hired the killer)
• Committing murder while escaping from prison, or attempting to escape
• Murder committed by a prison inmate while incarcerated
• Killing a judge
• Killing a child under the age of 10

For a person charged with capital murder in Texas, the potential stakes cannot be higher. Anyone facing a capital murder charge in Texas needs to put forth the most aggressive defense they can devise. Whether the defense is self-defense, mistaken identification, or unintentional injury that resulted in death, it is critical to prepare thoroughly and fight the charges doggedly at trial.