Fort Worth Criminal Defense Lawyers
Direct-to-attorney criminal defense for Fort Worth arrests and Tarrant County criminal-court matters. Co-founders Reggie and Njeri London handle every retained case personally — from arraignment through trial or appeal — from our Frisco office, 50 miles from Fort Worth.
L and L Law Group represents clients arrested in Fort Worth, Texas and clients facing charges in the Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center on the full Texas Penal Code and Health & Safety Code spectrum. Founding partners Reggie London (Texas Bar No. 24043514, former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney) and Njeri London (Texas Bar No. 24043266, admitted TXND, TXED, 5th Circuit) personally handle every Fort Worth matter. Our office is in Frisco, 50 miles from Fort Worth (60 minutes). Free 24/7 consultation: (972) 370-5060.
Common Fort Worth criminal charges we defend
Fort Worth arrests cover the full Texas charge spectrum but cluster predictably around several offense categories. DWI is the most common — Fort Worth Police Department runs visible DWI enforcement, particularly on I-30 and around the entertainment districts. Drug-possession cases follow closely, typically Penalty Group 1 (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin) and Penalty Group 3 (alprazolam, hydrocodone) under Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 481. Family violence, assault, and theft charges fill out the bulk of the misdemeanor docket.
Felony filings from Fort Worth arrests proceed in Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center for indictment and trial: aggravated assault under Tex. Penal Code § 22.02, burglary under § 30.02, robbery under § 29.02, sex offenses under Chapters 21-22, weapons offenses including felon-in-possession under federal 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) and Texas-state unlawfully-carrying-weapon under Tex. Penal Code § 46.02, and the full Penal Group 1 drug trafficking ladder under § 481.112.
We accept the full Fort Worth charge spectrum. Practice areas at Criminal defense (overview) map each category in detail with statutory references and the defense playbook.
Local court coordination for Fort Worth cases
Fort Worth criminal cases are routed to the Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center: Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth. Class C municipal-court matters originating in Fort Worth are heard at the local municipal court; Class B and Class A misdemeanors and all felonies are filed at the Tarrant County court complex in Fort Worth. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes felonies and most misdemeanors; the County Attorney’s Office handles select misdemeanor categories in this county.
The Tarrant County criminal docket has its own scheduling rhythm, plea-evaluation thresholds, and bond-setting norms. We have current working knowledge of all three. Our Frisco office is 50 miles from Fort Worth via I-30 and I-35W — typically a 60 minutes drive. Most Fort Worth consultations can begin remotely by phone or video; we appear in person at the Tarrant County courthouse on every retained matter.
Fort Worth Police Department — investigative practice we work against
Fort Worth Police Department is the primary law-enforcement agency in Fort Worth. We review Fort Worth Police Department incident reports, body-cam footage, in-car video, and patrol-supervisor logs early in every retained case — before the first plea conversation, before the first motion deadline, before the case posture hardens. The patrol-stop patterns, the DWI-detection protocols, the field-sobriety administration norms, the K-9 deployment thresholds — each of these affects what suppression-motion arguments are viable and what the State’s evidentiary posture will look like at trial.
Where we identify protocol deviations (Fourth Amendment stop-extension under Rodriguez v. United States, NHTSA field-sobriety administration failures, breath-test 15-minute-observation lapses, blood-draw warrant-affidavit insufficiencies under Franks v. Delaware), we build the suppression record before the State has time to prepare its response. The first 60 days of a Fort Worth case are decisive; we move fast.
How we handle a Fort Worth criminal case
- 1Initial consultation and engagementA free 30-45 minute conversation with one of the founding partners — not an intake clerk. We listen to the facts, identify the time-sensitive deadlines (ALR window on DWI cases, grand-jury timing on felonies, protective-order responses on family-violence cases), and quote a flat fee if we are the right firm for the Fort Worth matter.
- 2Bond and pretrial releaseIf you are in custody, we file an emergency bond motion under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15 in the Tarrant County court. Where bond conditions are excessive, we challenge them on art. 17.40. If a capias warrant is pending, we coordinate voluntary surrender or file an emergency motion under art. 17.151.
- 3Discovery and motion practiceWe file the Michael Morton Act discovery demand under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 39.14 within 14 days of arraignment. We review the Fort Worth Police Department incident report, body-cam, and physical evidence; we identify the Fourth Amendment, evidentiary, and procedural attack points; we draft motions to suppress, motions in limine, and (where appropriate) motions to dismiss.
- 4Plea negotiation or trial preparationTarrant County DA plea evaluation. Where the facts support dismissal or reduction (pretrial diversion, deferred adjudication, charge downgrade), we negotiate from a documented record. Where the case proceeds to trial, we prepare voir dire, witness orders, and the cross-examination roadmap.
- 5Disposition and post-conviction reliefFinal disposition (plea, jury verdict, or bench verdict). If the case resolves favorably, we calendar the expunction or non-disclosure petition for the eligibility window. If appellate review is appropriate, we file notice of appeal within 30 days under Tex. R. App. P. 26.2(a).
Why hire local counsel for a Fort Worth case
Two reasons. First, we appear in the Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center regularly and have current working knowledge of the courthouse personnel: the clerks who process bond paperwork, the court coordinators who set hearings, the prosecutors who handle Tarrant County misdemeanor and felony dockets, and the judges’ standing-orders practices that don’t appear in the rulebook. Second, Reggie’s prosecutor background in Dallas County and the firm’s combined experience across Tarrant County mean we understand the State’s evaluation framework — what arguments move plea offers in this county, what evidence triggers trial-prep escalation, what defense moves materially change the case posture.
That dual perspective shortens the path to the outcome you want. We don’t guess at how the prosecution will value the case; we read the affidavit the way the prosecutor who wrote it does.
From arrest to resolution: a Fort Worth case timeline
- 1ArrestFort Worth police arrest with probable cause; Miranda warning typically given before custodial questioning.
- 2Bond / pretrial releaseMagistration within 48 hours under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15; bond set or denied based on charge, criminal history, and community ties.
- 3ArraignmentFirst formal court appearance; charges read; plea entered; counsel confirmed of record.
- 4DiscoveryMichael Morton Act discovery demand under art. 39.14; body-cam, lab reports, witness statements produced by the State.
- 5Pretrial motionsMotions to suppress (Fourth/Fifth Amendment), motions in limine, motions to quash; hearings set on the trial court's standing motion calendar.
- 6ResolutionPlea, jury verdict, bench verdict, or dismissal. Sentence imposed or case closed; post-conviction expunction or non-disclosure window calendared.
What L and L Law Group does on a Fort Worth case
- 1Free direct-to-attorney consultationA 30-45 minute call with Reggie or Njeri London — not an intake clerk. We map the time-sensitive deadlines for a Fort Worth case (ALR on DWI, grand-jury timing on felonies, protective-order windows on family violence) and quote a written flat fee.
- 2Bond and emergency motionsIf you are in custody we file an emergency bond motion under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15 in the appropriate Tarrant County court; we challenge excessive conditions under art. 17.40 and 17.151 where applicable.
- 3Discovery and evidence auditMichael Morton Act demand filed within 14 days of arraignment under art. 39.14. We audit body-cam, in-car video, lab reports, and patrol-supervisor logs for Fourth Amendment and chain-of-custody attack points.
- 4Motion practiceMotions to suppress, motions in limine, motions to quash, and where the facts warrant a motion to dismiss. We litigate the suppression record before the case posture hardens for plea evaluation.
- 5ResolutionNegotiated dismissal, deferred adjudication, plea-with-terms, or jury trial. Post-conviction expunction or non-disclosure petition filed when the eligibility window opens.
Fort Worth criminal defense FAQs
Where will my Fort Worth case be heard?
Class C municipal-court matters originating in Fort Worth are heard at the Fort Worth Municipal Court. Class B misdemeanors, Class A misdemeanors, and all felonies proceed to the Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center (Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth) in Fort Worth. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes; we appear regularly in this courthouse.
How quickly can I post bond on a Fort Worth arrest?
After magistration (typically within 24-48 hours of booking), bond is set under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15. A bondsman premium (typically 10-15% of the bond amount) secures release. Where the bond is unaffordable or excessive, we file an emergency motion to reduce; many Tarrant County trial courts hear bond-reduction motions within 5-7 business days of filing.
Do I need a Fort Worth-based lawyer, or does a Frisco firm work?
A Fort Worth-based office is not required; courthouse familiarity is. Our Frisco office is 50 miles from Fort Worth (60 minutes). We appear in the Tarrant County Criminal Justice Center regularly. What matters is current working knowledge of the Tarrant County DA office, the trial-court practices, and the local enforcement patterns — not the firm’s street address.
What if my Fort Worth arrest involves a DWI?
DWI arrests trigger two parallel proceedings: the criminal case in the Tarrant County misdemeanor or felony court, and the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The ALR has a 15-day request deadline from the date of arrest under Tex. Transp. Code § 524.031 — miss it and the suspension takes effect automatically. We file the ALR request the same day we are retained on a Fort Worth DWI. See DWI defense for the full DWI playbook.
Can a Fort Worth arrest be expunged from my record?
An arrest that ended in dismissal, acquittal, or no-bill is typically eligible for expunction under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 55. A successful deferred-adjudication probation completion is typically eligible for an order of non-disclosure under Tex. Gov’t Code ch. 411 (record stays in law-enforcement databases but is shielded from public). Straight-probation completions are generally not eligible for either. See our expunction page for the full eligibility matrix.
How much does Fort Worth criminal-defense representation cost?
Flat fee, quoted in writing at the free initial consultation. The flat fee covers the entire defense through final disposition or trial in chief on the underlying charge — bond hearing, discovery, motion practice, plea negotiation or trial preparation, sentencing or verdict, and any related ancillary proceedings (ALR, protective order). We do not bill criminal-defense matters hourly. Appeals and post-conviction relief are scoped separately.
More Fort Worth questions
Where is the Fort Worth criminal court located?
Fort Worth criminal cases are heard at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W Belknap St, Fort Worth, TX 76196. Class C municipal-court matters stay local; Class B/A misdemeanors and all felonies are filed at the Tarrant County courts complex.
What is bond typically set at in Tarrant County?
Bond is set under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15 based on the charge, prior criminal history, and community ties. Typical first-time misdemeanor bonds in Tarrant County range from $500 to $2,500; typical first-time felony bonds range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on degree. DWI second-or-more bonds and family-violence bonds run higher; the magistrate may impose conditions including ignition interlock and protective-order terms.
Does Tarrant County have a drug court or other diversion program?
Yes. Tarrant County maintains the following specialty courts and diversion programs: First Offender Drug Program, Misdemeanor Mental Health Program, Veterans Court, RISE Court (women), Felony Drug Court. Eligibility is fact-specific; a documented motion with treatment-plan and risk-assessment exhibits is generally required.
How long do criminal cases typically take to resolve in Tarrant County?
Misdemeanor cases generally resolve in 4-8 months in Tarrant County; felony cases generally resolve in 8-18 months. Cases that proceed to jury trial take longer; cases that resolve at the motion-to-suppress hearing or via early-stage plea negotiation take less. The single biggest variable is whether motion practice is required to compel discovery or to litigate a suppression issue.
What is the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's plea-negotiation policy?
Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney plea practice is documented in the prosecutorial-posture section above. Plea offers are generally tied to (1) the strength of the State's case under the discovery record, (2) the defendant's prior criminal history and community ties, and (3) the procedural posture (early plea, post-suppression motion, eve of trial). We negotiate from a documented suppression record where the facts support it — that posture is what moves offers materially.
Arrested in Fort Worth?
Free, confidential consultation — direct to attorney, 24/7. We pick up jail-release calls at all hours.
Call (972) 370-5060About the Authors
