Houston Criminal Defense Attorneys - Brian Foley and Luis Baez Former Prosecutors.
If you've been arrested in Harris County be prepared for a difficult process ahead. It is difficult dealing with a criminal case no matter where you've been arrested, but Harris County can be among the most challenging. This is mostly due to the sheer size of the government bureaucracy.
There is a psychological theory called the bystander effect that applies in some sense. The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when there are other people present. Well because your case is one of thousands upon thousands each person who is responsible for reviewing your case and ensuring a just outcome diffuses that responsibility among the many government bureaucrats. Cases that should never have been filed sometimes are filed anyway. Cases that should be dismissed quickly linger on to be reset from court date to court date. This can continue for months or years. There are some people who have been awaiting trial in the Harris County Jail for over 5 years!
If you have been charged with a misdemeanor Assault Family Member case the court system will place a protective order on you that kicks you out of your own home and restricts you from talking to the person listed as the victim. This is true even if it is your wife or children. The courts can require you to report to the probation department as though you've already been found guilty merely because there has been an allegation of criminal conduct.
I'm a former Chief Prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's office. I can tell you that the prosecutors there have a huge caseload. Most felony three prosecutors there have over 1,200 cases assigned to them at one time and they get new one assigned every morning. Its an impossible task to keep up with that many cases. On the one hand it is difficult for the government to get heavily invested in your case. But if your cases deserves to be dismissed this means that the government will never have the time to fully evaluate you case until it is set for a jury trial. Ultimately the system is unchanging and unforgiving. Finding someone familiar with that system is critical to a successful criminal defense in Houston, Texas.
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