Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers

Dallas County criminal cases move through a tiered court system based on the severity of the charge. Misdemeanor cases are heard in the Dallas County Criminal Courts at Law, numbered 1 through 13, located at the George Allen Courts Building at 600 Commerce St. Felony cases are filed in one of seven Criminal District Courts at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd., where Dallas County District Attorney prosecutors handle cases from arraignment through trial.

After a felony arrest in Dallas County, a magistrate judge sets bail, typically within 24 to 48 hours of booking into the Dallas County Jail. That magistration hearing is the first procedural moment in the case, and the conditions set there, including bail amount, bond restrictions, and protective orders, govern everything until the case resolves.

Retaining an attorney before that hearing gives your defense team the ability to appear, present information about your background and ties to the community, and challenge unreasonable bail conditions on the record.

What Happens After a Felony Arrest in Dallas County?

A Dallas County felony case follows this procedural sequence from arrest through resolution:

• Magistration at the Dallas County Jail, where bail is set and initial conditions are imposed
• Grand jury presentation, where prosecutors present evidence to a panel of citizens who determine whether probable cause supports the charge proceeding as an indictment
• Arraignment in the assigned Criminal District Court, where the indictment is formally entered and the defendant enters a plea
• Pre-trial motions practice, where defense counsel challenges evidence, the legality of the arrest or search, and the admissibility of statements
• Disposition through dismissal, negotiated plea, or jury trial in the assigned Criminal District Court

Grand jury practice in Dallas County presents a defense opportunity that most defendants do not know exists. An attorney who submits a grand jury packet before the grand jury hears the case gives the panel information the prosecutor alone would not provide. Cases dismissed at the grand jury level result in a no-bill, which carries significant advantages for later expunction eligibility.

Dallas County dismissals result from the following, among other grounds:

• Fourth Amendment violations where law enforcement conducted a search without a valid warrant or a recognized exception to the warrant requirement
• Insufficient evidence where the prosecution cannot establish each element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt after the defense’s evidence review
• Miranda and Sixth Amendment violations where statements were obtained after an arrest without proper advisements or without allowing counsel
• Chain of custody failures in drug cases, where evidence was not properly collected, sealed, transported, or documented from seizure through lab analysis
• Complainant cooperation issues in family violence and assault cases, where the named victim declines to cooperate with prosecution

A no-bill from a Dallas County grand jury is among the most favorable early outcomes in a felony case. It terminates the case before indictment and, depending on the charge and circumstances, creates a pathway to expunction, the permanent removal of the arrest from public records under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55.