Texas Criminal Defense Resource Library

Featured Resources

Three tools worth starting with.

The DWI Book

The whole arc of a Texas DWI case (the traffic stop, the breath or blood test, the license hearing, and the courtroom) explained in plain English, start to finish.

• Read The DWI Book

The ALR Deadline Calculator

A DWI arrest starts a separate clock on your driver's license, apart from the criminal case. Enter your arrest date to see how little time you may have to request a license hearing.

• Tool in development. Link pending.

The Expunction & Nondisclosure Eligibility Checker

Answer a few questions to see whether your Texas record may qualify to be erased (expunction) or sealed (nondisclosure), and what would need to happen first.

• Tool in development. Link pending.

Books

Longer, plain-English guides that walk through an entire kind of case from beginning to end. Read them start to finish, or jump to the chapter you need.

• The DWI Book. A complete walkthrough of a Texas DWI, from the stop to the sentence. Read now.
• The Record-Clearing Book: Expunctions & Nondisclosures. When and how a Texas record can be erased or sealed, and who qualifies. Link pending.
• The Family Member's Guide to a Texas Arrest. What to do in the first 48 hours when someone you love is in jail. Link pending.
• The Assault & Family Violence Defense Book. How these cases are charged in Texas and where the real defenses are. Link pending.
• The Federal Investigation Survival Guide. What to expect when the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, HSI, or Border Patrol is involved, and why federal cases move differently. Link pending.

Guides & Charts

Quick-reference one-pagers, timelines, and flowcharts. Built to answer a single question fast, and made to print.

• Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Chart. Roughly how many drinks it takes to reach the legal limit, by weight. View the chart.
• Texas DWI Penalty Chart. First, second, and third offense penalties at a glance.  Link pending.
• Misdemeanor & Felony Classes and Punishment Ranges. How Texas sorts offenses, and the exposure that goes with each class.  Link pending.
• What Happens After an Arrest: A Timeline. Booking, bond, first appearance, and the road to resolution. Link pending.
• Bond & Bail, Explained. How bail is set, what a bond costs, and how to get someone out. Bail in Central Texas. Dedicated one-pager pending.
• Drug Penalty Groups Chart. How Texas classifies controlled substances and why the group matters.  Link pending.
• Expunction vs. Nondisclosure: Which One Applies? A flowchart for telling "erased" apart from "sealed." Link pending.
• Your Rights During a Police Stop. What officers can and cannot do, and what you should and should not say. Can the police search me? One-pager pending.

Tools

Interactive calculators and checkers. Put in a few details and get an answer tailored to your situation. These tools give general estimates only. They are not legal advice and do not predict the outcome of any case.

• Conviction Cost Calculator. Add up the real, long-term cost of a conviction beyond the fine. Open the calculator.
• How Much Does an Austin DWI Cost? Estimate the total cost of a DWI, from bond to reinstatement. Estimate now.
• ALR Deadline Calculator. Find your license-hearing deadline after a DWI arrest.  Link pending.
• Expunction & Nondisclosure Eligibility Checker. See whether your record may qualify to be cleared or sealed. Link pending.
• DWI Penalty Estimator. See the likely penalty range for a Texas DWI based on the facts you enter.  Link pending.
• Court Date & Deadline Countdown. Track your next setting and the deadlines around it. Link pending.

Directories

The phone numbers and addresses people actually need in a hurry: jails, courts, clerks, and prosecutors across the counties we serve.

• Central Texas County Jail & Inmate Lookup Directory. Booking, visitation, and inmate search for Travis, Hays, Williamson, Comal, Bexar, and Dallas-area jails. Link pending.
• Court Clerk Directory. Where to file, where to call, and where to show up, by county. Link pending.
• District Attorney & Prosecutor Office Directory. The offices handling cases in the counties we practice in. Link pending.
• Bail Bond Information by County. How bond is posted and reinstated in each jurisdiction. Link pending.

Courthouses

Know before you go. What to expect at the courthouse where your case is set: where to park, what to bring, and how that county tends to run its docket. We regularly appear in Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties and across Central Texas, with offices in Austin, San Antonio, and the Dallas area.

• Hays County Courts Guide. How the courts work in San Marcos and across Hays County. Read the guide.
• Comal County Courts Guide. The courts of New Braunfels and Comal County. Read the guide.
• Guadalupe County Courts Guide. What to know about the Guadalupe County courts. Read the guide.
• Travis County (Austin) Courthouse Guide. The criminal courts of Travis County.  Link pending.
• Williamson County Courthouse Guide. The criminal courts of Williamson County.  Link pending.
• Bexar County (San Antonio) Courthouse Guide. The criminal courts of Bexar County.  Link pending.
• Dallas-Area Courthouse Guide. The criminal courts serving our Dallas-area clients.  Link pending.

Reference Library

The deeper shelf: definitions, explainers, real case results, and answers to the questions we hear most.

• Frequently Asked Questions. Plain answers to the questions clients ask first. Read the FAQ.
• Case Results. Outcomes from cases the firm has handled. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See results.
• Client Testimonials. In our clients' own words. Read testimonials.
• Practice Area Explainers. Detailed breakdowns of DWI, assault, drug, sex, theft, weapons, homicide, white-collar, federal, and military cases. Browse practice areas.
• Blog & Latest Articles. New writing on Texas criminal law as it changes. Visit the blog.
• Video Library. Short videos explaining charges, rights, and defenses. Watch videos.
• Texas Criminal Law Glossary. The terms you will hear in your case, defined without the jargon. Link pending.

For Attorneys

Resources for referring counsel and colleagues. Our practice is limited exclusively to criminal law in Texas, and our founding attorney is a former Assistant United States Attorney and former Assistant District Attorney with federal and state trial experience.

• Refer a Case or Bring Us In as Co-Counsel. Send a referral, or partner with our trial team on a serious case. Dedicated page pending; interim link: Contact us.
• Meet Our Trial Team. Former prosecutors and career trial lawyers. Meet the team.
• Our Trial Record. Results from cases we have taken to verdict and resolution. See results.
• CLE & Speaking. Requests for CLE presentations and panels.  Link pending.

Start Here

Not sure where to begin? Pick the line that fits your situation.

"I was arrested for DWI."

Two clocks start the moment you are arrested: one for the criminal case and one, separately, for your driver's license. Move on the license first; the window to request a hearing is short. Start with the ALR Deadline Calculator and The DWI Book, then call (737) 324-7540 for a free case review.

"I was arrested for something else."

Whatever the charge, the process runs the same way at first: booking, bond, a first setting, then the work of building a defense. Read What Happens After an Arrest in Guides & Charts, find your charge under Practice Area Explainers, and call (737) 324-7540 to talk through the specifics.

"I'm trying to clear an old record."

Some Texas records can be erased (expunction); others can be sealed (nondisclosure); many cannot be touched at all. Eligibility turns on how the case ended and how much time has passed. Run the Expunction & Nondisclosure Eligibility Checker to see where you may stand, then call (737) 324-7540. When the firm resolves a client's case and that client is eligible under Texas law, we file the expunction at no additional attorney's fee; only the court's filing fees apply.

"A family member was arrested."

The first hours matter most. You can find where they are being held, how bond works, and what to do (and not do) before they talk to anyone. Start with the Central Texas County Jail & Inmate Lookup Directory in Directories and The Family Member's Guide to a Texas Arrest in Books, then call (737) 324-7540.

"I am an attorney."

Refer a case or bring us in as co-counsel on a serious or complex matter, including federal cases and cases involving military service members. See For Attorneys or reach us directly at (737) 324-7540.

Talk to a Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer

Free case review. No trial fees. Former federal and Texas prosecutors on your side.

A charge is not a conviction, and the sooner we look at your case, the more options you tend to have. Call for a free, confidential case review.

Call (737) 324-7540 · Contact us online.

Serving Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Round Rock, New Braunfels, San Marcos, and clients throughout Texas in state and federal courts.

Offices

• Principal Office (Austin): 111 Congress Avenue, Suite 500, Austin, TX 78701
• San Antonio: 700 N St. Mary's Street, Suite 1400, San Antonio, TX 78205
• Dallas Area: 7460 Warren Parkway, Suite 100, Frisco, TX 75034

Attorney Advertising. Lance Kennedy Law, principal office in Austin, Texas. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. No result is guaranteed, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.