Fort Bend County Trial Lawyer

Every case will have its own unique dynamic, but what typically takes place between the arraignment and the beginning of a criminal trial in Texas is the following…

• Discovery–Information is exchanged between the prosecution and the defense. A Fort Bend County trial attorney has the right to see the evidence the prosecution will introduce at trial. Discovery is not something that happens automatically in Texas. Attorneys must formally file a request to see what the prosecution has.
• Plea Negotiations–Plea bargaining is the process where an individual may agree to plead guilty in exchange for the prosecutor agreeing to lower charges. It’s important to rely on defense counsel in this process. Through discovery, the defense attorney can have a good sense of how strong the prosecution’s case is and advise their client appropriately. Good advice on plea deals can literally mean years in an individual ’s life.
• Motions–As part of the discovery process, the defense lawyer might find that some of the prosecution’s evidence was illegally obtained. A prime example is evidence obtained without a search warrant. Search warrants obtained without probable cause are illegal. Forced confessions might be challenged. The lawyer can file a motion to suppress illegal evidence, meaning a jury will never see it. This can drastically impact the entire dynamic of the trial and any plea negotiations.
• Jury Selection–Perhaps no activity before the trial will be as important as jury selection. Both sides are looking for jurors who will be sympathetic to the line of argument they plan to advance at trial. Experienced lawyers understand what they are looking for in a potential juror. A Fort Bend County trial lawyer has one distinct advantage over the prosecutor–we only need one sympathetic juror to prevent conviction. Although we are naturally going for twelve sympathetic jurors to secure complete acquittal.

From before the trial to during the trial to after the trial, the Law Office of Annie Scott is with you and fighting every step of the way. Call our Sugar Land office today at (281) 466-4118 or contact us online to set up a consultation.

The Trial

Everything to this point has been about creating the most favorable landscape possible for the individual. Now it’s time to make the case for the jury. An experienced trial lawyer needs to start with a strong opening statement–to remind the jury that the outrage they rightly feel at the crime is not to be directed at the individual–who is to be presumed innocent.

The District Attorney’s office will then make their case, bringing up their witnesses. The defense lawyer that’s well-prepared and nimble on their feet has a better chance of effectively cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses and creating reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. With that accomplished, the defense lawyer can then summon their own witnesses and seek to “close the deal”, so to speak, in the minds of the jury. In that regard, each lawyer will get the chance to make a closing statement before jury deliberations.

Then it’s in the hands of the jury. When they come back with the verdict, we naturally hope for acquittal, which ends the process. But even when a guilty verdict is rendered, there is still more work to–the quality of which can impact how quickly an individual can get on with rebuilding their life.

Appeal

One option is to appeal the verdict. It’s important to note that an appeal is not a new trial. The witnesses don’t appear again, and an appellate judge is not even allowed to have their own opinion on how the case should have turned out. But appeals courts are designed to address any errors in the application of the law. Was evidence admitted that was in fact illegally obtained? Was there inappropriate bias in jury selection? Was the verdict simply impossible to reach based on the evidence? These are factors an appellate judge can consider and, if necessary, call for a new trial.