Houston · Harris County · Galveston · Fort Bend · Federal — Southern District of TexasHouston · Harris County · Galveston

Spring is a large unincorporated area with no city police department and no city court. A criminal charge that starts with an arrest in Spring — by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, DPS, or a school district police department — is filed by the Harris County District Attorney and heard 25 miles south at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin Street in downtown Houston. Arrests on the north edge of Spring, across the Montgomery County line, go to Conroe instead. Brian Foley and Luis Baez are former Harris County prosecutors who appear in both.

Call or text (713) 703-1718 for a free, confidential consultation.

Criminal Cases We Defend for Spring Residents

Spring's neighborhoods — Gleannloch Farms, Northgate Forest, Cypresswood, Auburn Lakes, Spring Creek Oaks, Champions, and the Old Town Spring district — along with the I-45 and FM 1960 commercial corridors and the Klein and Spring school districts, produce the same core charges we see across north Harris County:

Harris County or Montgomery County?

The Penal Code is the same, but the systems are very different.

Harris County (the great majority of Spring, including Klein, Champions, Cypresswood, Old Town Spring, and everything south of the county line). Cases are heard in the County Criminal Courts at Law and felony District Courts at 1201 Franklin. Harris County's misdemeanor bail rules mean most first-time misdemeanor defendants are released on a general order or personal bond, and the District Attorney's Office runs formal pretrial diversion and marijuana diversion programs.

Montgomery County (north Spring near Rayford Road, Imperial Oaks, Spring Trails, and The Woodlands). Cases go to the Montgomery County Courts at Law and District Courts at 301 N. Thompson Street, Conroe, TX 77301. Montgomery County sets higher bonds, rarely grants personal bonds, prosecutes DWI and drug cases aggressively, and runs its own pretrial intervention program with stricter eligibility. If you were arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable, or Shenandoah or Oak Ridge North police, your case is in Conroe.

We confirm the county and the court on the first call.

Who Polices Spring

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable. The largest constable's office in Texas, headquartered on Cypresswood Drive in Spring, provides contract patrol to most Spring and Klein subdivisions and runs its own DWI, narcotics, and human-trafficking units. A large share of Spring arrests are Precinct 4 arrests.

Harris County Sheriff's Office. HCSO District 1 and District 2 deputies patrol the parts of Spring without contract constables and respond to major crimes.

Texas DPS. Troopers work I-45, the Hardy Toll Road, and SH 99 and make many of the DWI and drug-interdiction stops on those highways.

Klein ISD and Spring ISD Police. Licensed police departments with jurisdiction on campuses and buses; student cases are filed in Harris County like any other.

What Happens After a Spring Arrest

Booking. Harris County arrestees charged with Class A/B misdemeanors or felonies are transported to the Harris County Joint Processing Center at 700 N. San Jacinto Street in downtown Houston. Montgomery County arrestees go to the Montgomery County Jail in Conroe.

Magistration and bond. Within about 24 hours a magistrate finds probable cause, sets bond, and imposes conditions. In family-violence cases an emergency protective order is almost automatic. Having a lawyer before this hearing means an argument for a lower bond or personal bond, reasonable conditions, and no damaging statements.

First court setting. Two to four weeks after release. Nothing about guilt is decided; the case is reset for the State to produce the offense report, body-camera video, and lab results, and the defense begins.

DWI Enforcement in Spring

I-45 between the Beltway and The Woodlands, the Hardy Toll Road, and FM 2920 are heavily worked by Precinct 4, HCSO, DPS, and — north of the line — the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Harris County runs No Refusal periods on holidays and most weekends, and Montgomery County is No Refusal year-round: a refused breath test is answered with a judge-signed blood warrant. As former members of the Harris County District Attorney's Vehicular Crimes Team, Brian Foley and Luis Baez know exactly how these cases are built — the standardized field sobriety tests, the Intoxilyzer 9000 breath test, and the blood-draw warrant and lab analysis — and where they break down. Every DWI arrest also starts a 15-day clock to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing to save your license, which we handle in every case.

Spring Courts and Agencies

  • Harris County Precinct 4 Constable — 6831 Cypresswood Drive, Spring, TX 77379
  • Harris County Sheriff's Office — 1200 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002 (headquarters); District 1 and District 2 patrol Spring
  • Harris County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 — Class C misdemeanors and traffic tickets in Spring and Klein
  • Harris County Criminal Justice Center — 1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002 (all Harris County Class A/B misdemeanors and felonies) — see our court-by-court guide
  • Harris County Joint Processing Center — 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002 (booking, magistration, and release)
  • Montgomery County Courthouse — 301 N. Thompson Street, Conroe, TX 77301 (Montgomery County misdemeanors and felonies)
  • Montgomery County Jail — 1 Criminal Justice Drive, Conroe, TX 77301

Why Spring Clients Hire Houston Criminal Defense Attorneys PLLC

Brian Foley is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and served as a Felony Chief Prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Luis Baez is a former Trial Bureau Chief. Between them they have handled thousands of cases from both sides of the courtroom and know the judges, coordinators, and prosecutors in every court at 1201 Franklin. We serve Spring, Klein, Champions, Tomball, The Woodlands, Humble, and all of north Harris County.

Call or text (713) 703-1718 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions


Where will my Spring criminal case be heard?
Most of Spring is unincorporated Harris County, so Class A and B misdemeanors and felonies go to the Harris County Criminal Justice Center at 1201 Franklin Street in downtown Houston. The northern edge of Spring — generally north of the Harris County line near Rayford Road and Riley Fuzzel — is Montgomery County, and those cases go to the Montgomery County Courthouse in Conroe. Your bond paperwork says which.
Who makes arrests in Spring?
Spring has no city police department. Arrests are made by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable, which patrols most Spring and Klein neighborhoods under contract; the Harris County Sheriff's Office; DPS on I-45, the Hardy Toll Road and the Grand Parkway; Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Precinct 3 Constable north of the county line; and Klein ISD and Spring ISD Police on campuses.
Where is someone taken after a Spring arrest?
Harris County arrestees go to the Harris County Joint Processing Center at 700 N. San Jacinto Street in downtown Houston for booking and magistration. Montgomery County arrestees go to the Montgomery County Jail at 1 Criminal Justice Drive in Conroe.
How do Spring DWI arrests on I-45 and FM 2920 work?
I-45 North, the Hardy Toll Road, FM 2920, Louetta, Kuykendahl and the Grand Parkway are heavily patrolled by Precinct 4, HCSO and DPS, and Harris County runs No Refusal periods where a judge signs blood warrants. A first offense is a Class B misdemeanor with a 15-day deadline to request an ALR license hearing. Brian Foley and Luis Baez are former Vehicular Crimes prosecutors and handle Spring DWI cases from arrest through trial.
Do I need a lawyer in Spring?
You need a lawyer who knows the court your case is actually in — downtown Houston or Conroe — and the prosecutors there. Our office at 310 Main Street is two blocks from the Harris County courthouse; we meet Spring clients by phone, video, or in person wherever is convenient.

Speak With a Houston Criminal Defense Attorney Today


Free, confidential consultation with Board Certified criminal defense attorneys and former prosecutors.

(713) 703-1718