Homicide offenses are amongst the most heavily punished crimes in the State of Texas. They are the most serious offenses that a person can be charged with, and it is imperative that you hire a competent, experienced criminal defense attorney to handle these types of cases.
MURDER
For the State to obtain a conviction for murder, they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt one of three theories: 1) the defendant intentionally or knowingly caused the death of an individual, 2) the defendant intended to cause serious bodily injury, committed an act that is clearly dangerous to human life, and caused the death of an individual, or 3) the elements of the felony murder doctrine. Under most circumstances, murder is a first degree felony in the State of Texas with a punishment range of 5 to 99 years or life in the Texas Department of Corrections.
Murder cases can bring a large amount of specific and technical evidence that needs to be handled correctly to give the defendant a chance at a favorable outcome. It is common for DNA, multiple witnesses, ballistics testing, GSR testing, blood spatter, and intricate autopsies to play a major role in the prosecution’s murder case. You need a Criminal Defense Attorney that has handled these cases in the past, and knows how to examine this evidence to provide a clear view of the facts.
The Murder Attorneys at Odom, Davis & Hobson have extensive experience in handling charges of murder and capital murder. Our criminal defense attorneys have built defenses around analyzing and interpreting all of the major evidence that will arise in a murder prosecution. This expertise and attention to detail is needed to insure that the defendant gets a fair trial, and gets placed in the best position possible at the resolution of their case.
CAPITAL MURDER
Capital murder requires the state to prove the elements of murder plus an aggravating factor. Some of these factors include causing the death of 2 or more people in a single transaction, causing the death during the commission of another felony (notably robbery), causing the death of a public servant (police officer), and cuasing the death of a child under the age of six. These offenses carry two options for punishment if convicted: 1) death or 2) life in prison without the possibility for parole. The state has set up death committees that review each capital murder charge for death penalty eligibility. Often, the defendants attorney plays a role in this process by offering mitigating evidence arguing the death penalty is inappropriate.
MANSLAUGHTER
To obtain a conviction for manslaughter, the State has to prove a defendant recklessly caused the death of an individual. The major difference between manslaughter and murder is that you do not need intent to commit manslaughter. Manslaughter only requires recklessness – meaning that you were aware of an unjustified risk that a death could occur and consciously disregarded that risk. Manslaughter is a second degree felony in the State of Texas with a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in the Texas Department of Corrections.
Manslaughter carries an extensive range of punishment. The State is also unlikely to dismiss these cases without competent counsel as the victim’s family will play a central role in plea negotiations. You need to hire a criminal defense attorney that has handled these types of cases, and has the respect of the legal community to ensure that the you obtain the result that your case deserves. The Manslaughter Attorneys at Odom, Davis & Hobson have handled numerous murder/manslaughter cases, and will fight to make sure that you are placed in the best position possible at the resolution of your case.
Aggressive and Experienced Defense
Our firm focuses on the most serious offenses in state court. Over the last 40 years, we have tried multiple murder and capital murder cases. These include the representation of Andrea Yates in 2006, Haskell in 2019 (death penalty case), Bellisario Lopez in 2018, “Baby Grace” in 2008, and Wilmar Duran-Gomez from 2010-2020. Most recently, our firm obtained a dismissal of federal death penalty charges for Wilmar Duran-Gomez. This marked one of the first dismissals of a death penalty indictment in federal court in decades.
Our Capital Murder attorneys have a broad knowledge of the law in this area, and have built successful defenses around that knowledge for over 40 years. This experience allows us to conduct our own investigations into the facts, and force to state to prove their case.
Contact one of our Houston Murder Attorneys or Houston Capital Murder Attorneys today.