Texas Criminal Defense Practice Areas
From DWI and drug possession to federal sentencing and sex-offender deregistration — we defend Texans across every chapter of the Penal Code, every Schedule of the Health & Safety Code, and every federal title we're admitted in. Below is the full menu, organized by how a case actually unfolds.
L and L Law Group, PLLC is a Frisco, Texas criminal defense firm representing clients in all nine DFW counties — Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, and Hunt — plus federal cases in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Co-founding partners Reggie London (Texas Bar No. 24043514, former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney) and Njeri London (Texas Bar No. 24043266, admitted TXND, TXED, and the 5th Circuit) personally handle every matter from arraignment through trial or appeal. Practice areas span DWI (first offense through intoxication manslaughter), drug crimes (possession through manufacture-delivery and fentanyl), family violence, sex offenses, weapons charges, federal indictments, juvenile cases, expunction and non-disclosure petitions, ALR hearings, and post-conviction appeals and habeas corpus.
Charge Categories
Substantive offenses we defend — click any card for the full statutory analysis, defense playbook, and Frisco-court context. Sub-charges link to dedicated pages.
DWI & Intoxication Offenses
Class B through first-degree felony — from a first-offense traffic stop to intoxication manslaughter. ALR hearing strategy, breath/blood-test challenges, occupational license relief.
Drug Crimes
Penalty Group 1, 1-A, 2, 2-A, 3, and 4 — possession through manufacture and delivery. Fentanyl trafficking and drug-free-zone enhancements add their own felony layer.
Violent Crimes
Class A assault through capital murder. We work the affirmative defenses Texas allows — self-defense, defense of third person, defense of property — alongside the State's burden on every element.
Sex Crimes
The highest-stakes category in Texas criminal law — first-degree felonies, mandatory registration, and federal Adam Walsh tier classification. Aggressive Brady, § 38.072, and SANE-exam motion practice.
Weapons Charges
UCW under § 46.02, felon-in-possession under federal § 922(g), prohibited weapons under § 46.05, and unlawful straw-purchase transfers. We cross-reference federal Title 18 every time.
Family Violence
Assault-FV, continuous family violence, and protective-order violations — each carries lifetime federal firearm consequences under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). The collateral damage often exceeds the sentence.
White Collar & Fraud
Theft (aggregated under § 31.09), fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. Loss-amount and value calculations drive the punishment range — we challenge the math before we challenge the intent.
Federal Charges
Federal indictments in the Northern (Dallas, Fort Worth) and Eastern (Sherman, Plano) Districts of Texas. Sentencing Guidelines calculations, 5K1.1 cooperation, safety-valve eligibility, and supervised-release strategy.
Juvenile Defense
Texas juvenile cases are nominally rehabilitative but the consequences — certification to adult court, sex-offender registration, GPS monitoring — are anything but. We litigate Kent and § 54.02 transfer motions hard.
Process & Procedure
Where you are in the case lifecycle matters as much as the charge itself. We meet you at each stage — before arrest, at bond, during pretrial, on probation, and after conviction.
Pre-Arrest Investigations
Target letter from the U.S. Attorney's Office, grand jury subpoena, or detective phone call — this is the most underused defense window. Pre-charge negotiation can prevent the indictment entirely.
Bond & Pretrial
Magistration, bond amounts, bond conditions, and bond-reduction motions. The first 48 hours after arrest set the conditions of your liberty for the duration of the case.
Bail Bond Reduction
If you cannot afford bail or the bond amount is unreasonable, we file an Article 17.15 motion to reduce. Reduction hearings turn on flight risk, community ties, and danger to the alleged victim.
Probation Violation
Motion to Revoke (regular probation) or Motion to Adjudicate (deferred adjudication). The judge becomes both finder of fact and sentencer — the State's burden is only a preponderance of the evidence.
Appeals & Habeas
Direct appeal to the Texas Court of Appeals or Fifth Circuit; state habeas under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.07; federal habeas under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Strict deadlines — some start the day judgment is entered.
Relief & Specialty Practice
Cleaning up the record after a case ends, or attacking a specific civil-administrative process tied to a criminal charge.
Expunction & Non-Disclosure
Expunction wipes the record from public and private databases. Non-disclosure seals it from public view but leaves law-enforcement access. Eligibility turns on disposition and offense type.
Sealing Juvenile Records
Two pathways: automatic restricted-access at age 17 (mostly Class B and below) or petition-based sealing for older juveniles and certain adjudications. We file under § 58.253 / § 58.255.
Sex Offender Registry
Registration compliance, SORNA tier reclassification (Texas vs federal Adam Walsh Act), and deregistration petitions under art. 62.401 for individuals whose Texas duration exceeds the federal minimum.
Misdemeanor Cases
Class C (fine-only), Class B (up to 180 days), and Class A (up to one year) misdemeanors. Probationable in nearly every case — but a conviction still triggers immigration, professional-license, and firearm consequences.
ALR Hearings
Administrative License Revocation — the SOAH hearing that runs parallel to the DWI criminal case. You have 15 days from arrest to request the hearing or the suspension takes effect automatically.
Occupational License
Essential-needs driving privileges during a suspension — up to 12 hours/day for employment, household duties, and school. We file the § 521.241 petition, draft the affidavit of need, and serve the State.
How the Texas Penal Code is structured
Texas criminal law is principally codified in the Penal Code (Title 7 substantive offenses), the Code of Criminal Procedure (procedural rules), and the Health & Safety Code (drugs and certain regulatory offenses). Offenses are classified by punishment, not by subject matter: every offense is either a capital felony, first-degree felony, second-degree felony, third-degree felony, state-jail felony, or one of three misdemeanor classes (A, B, or C). The classification — not the charge name — determines the maximum jail or prison exposure and the minimum fine.
A first-degree felony carries 5 to 99 years (or life) in TDCJ and a fine up to $10,000; second-degree, 2 to 20 years; third-degree, 2 to 10 years; state-jail felony, 180 days to 2 years in a state-jail facility (not TDCJ); Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in county jail and a $4,000 fine; Class B, up to 180 days and $2,000; Class C, fine-only up to $500. Enhancement statutes — deadly weapon findings under § 12.42, habitual-offender allegations, and drug-free-zone multipliers — can elevate a charge by one or two classifications before the case ever reaches a jury. Your defense strategy starts with the classification math; everything else follows.
The defense process from arrest to verdict
Most criminal cases in Texas follow a recognizable arc: arrest, magistration, bond, indictment (felonies only), arraignment, pretrial motion practice, discovery review under the Michael Morton Act (Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 39.14), plea negotiation, and either disposition by plea or trial. The timeline varies wildly — a misdemeanor possession case may resolve in 60 days; a federal fraud indictment may take 18 months from initial appearance to sentencing.
The decisions that shape the outcome are made early. Whether to demand a probable-cause hearing, what bond conditions to oppose, when to file the motion to suppress, whether to push for a grand jury packet or waive indictment, when to invoke the Speedy Trial right under the U.S. Sixth Amendment — these choices stack on top of each other. By the time most clients reach a "plea or trial" question, the lever arm of the strategic decisions made in the first 60 days is enormous.
We document every fork and explain the trade-off to the client before pulling it. A signed engagement agreement obligates us to give legal advice; it does not authorize us to make strategic decisions about your case without your informed consent. Read more on the defense process for a fuller walkthrough.
State vs federal cases — what changes
State and federal criminal cases operate on different statutory regimes, different procedural rules, different evidentiary standards, and different sentencing frameworks. A federal case typically begins with a target letter or a grand jury indictment returned in either the Northern District of Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Abilene, San Angelo) or the Eastern District of Texas (Sherman, Plano, Marshall, Tyler, Beaumont, Lufkin, Texarkana). Discovery runs under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 and Local Rule CR-16, not the Michael Morton Act. Sentencing is calculated under the United States Sentencing Guidelines — an offense-level and criminal-history matrix that produces an advisory range the district court must consider before imposing sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).
Federal cases tend to move faster than state cases (the Speedy Trial Act imposes a 70-day clock from indictment to trial) but carry higher exposure: mandatory minimums under 21 U.S.C. § 841 for drug quantities, § 924(c) consecutive sentences for firearms in furtherance of drug or violence offenses, and supervised release that survives the prison term. Njeri is admitted to TXND, TXED, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; we handle federal matters directly rather than referring out.
The L and L Law Group approach
Two co-founding partners, both with criminal Bar cards, both available 24/7 for jail-release calls. No intake clerk gates the relationship. No junior associate is handed your file at the eleventh hour. Reggie spent years as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County; he reads a probable-cause affidavit the way the prosecutor who wrote it does. Njeri's trial training and motion practice anchor the suppression work and the federal Guidelines fights. Together that produces a dual-perspective defense: we tell you what the State sees, and we attack what the defense sees.
Engagement is direct. You will speak to one of us at the consult, you will speak to one of us at every hearing, and you will get a flat-fee quote in plain English if you retain us. We do not bill hourly for criminal-defense matters because the unpredictable nature of a criminal case makes hourly billing punish the client for the State's tactics. Our fee covers everything from the initial appearance through final disposition or trial in chief.
Local courts we appear in
Collin County: Six county courts at law and seven district courts, all housed at the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building, 2100 Bloomdale Road, McKinney. The Collin County District Attorney's Office is led by Greg Willis. Misdemeanors are filed in county court at law; first-, second-, and third-degree felonies and state-jail felonies are filed in district court. Our home county; we are in McKinney several times a week.
Dallas County: The Frank Crowley Courts Building at 133 N. Riverfront Boulevard houses 17 county criminal courts and 17 felony district courts. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office runs the largest prosecutor's office in North Texas. Reggie's prior service as an ADA in Dallas County is a daily asset on Dallas-filed cases.
Denton County: The Denton County Courts Complex at 1450 E. McKinney Street, Denton, with multiple county criminal courts and felony district courts. Strong DWI docket; ALR hearings are particularly competitive here.
Tarrant County: The Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center at 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth, with 10 county criminal courts and 10 felony district courts. We appear regularly on the federal side too at the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse (TXND, Fort Worth division).
We also accept cases in Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, and Hunt Counties. See all counties served for the full coverage map.
When to call a defense lawyer
If any of the following applies, call us today, not next week:
- You have been arrested or summoned on any Texas misdemeanor or felony charge.
- A detective, FBI agent, ATF agent, or other law-enforcement officer has asked to speak with you — with or without using the word "investigation."
- You received a target letter from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern or Eastern District of Texas.
- A grand jury subpoena arrived — whether for documents, testimony, or both.
- You are on probation or deferred adjudication and have been served with a Motion to Revoke or Motion to Adjudicate.
- A protective order has been requested or granted against you, particularly under Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 85.
- You believe you may be a target of an investigation but have not yet been contacted.
- You have 15 days or fewer from a DWI arrest and have not requested an ALR hearing.
The line is direct to attorney, 24 hours a day: (972) 370-5060. Initial consultations are free and confidential. If we are not the right firm for your case, we will tell you that and point you to one that is.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle both Texas state and federal criminal cases?
Yes. Both attorneys are licensed in Texas; Njeri is additionally admitted to the U.S. District Courts for the Northern (TXND) and Eastern (TXED) Districts of Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. We handle federal indictments directly — from first appearance through Guidelines sentencing — rather than referring federal cases to outside counsel.
What counties do you cover?
All nine DFW-metroplex counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, and Hunt. Our office is in Frisco (Collin County), and we appear most frequently in the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building in McKinney. On federal matters we appear in TXND (Dallas and Fort Worth divisions) and TXED (Sherman and Plano divisions).
Will I work with a paralegal or an attorney?
An attorney. Every retained matter is handled by one or both co-founding partners — Reggie London (Texas Bar No. 24043514) or Njeri London (Texas Bar No. 24043266). You will speak to an attorney at the consult, at every court appearance, and when you call the office.
How are fees structured?
Flat fee, agreed in writing before representation begins. The flat fee covers the entire defense through final disposition or trial in chief on the underlying charge. We do not bill criminal-defense matters hourly because hourly billing creates the wrong incentives in cases the State controls the pace of. Appeals and post-conviction work are scoped separately.
What if I have not been charged yet but think I might be?
That is exactly when to call. Pre-arrest representation is the highest-leverage window in a criminal case — we can negotiate with the prosecutor before indictment, prepare you for a grand jury appearance, respond to a target letter from the U.S. Attorney's Office, or simply make clear through counsel that you decline a non-custodial interview. See our pre-arrest investigations page.
Do you take court-appointed cases?
We are a privately-retained criminal-defense firm. We do not accept court appointments. If you cannot afford private counsel, the judge will appoint counsel under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 26.04 or, in federal cases, under the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A — both are constitutionally guaranteed.
How long until my case resolves?
Wildly variable. A first-offense misdemeanor with a clear-cut plea path can resolve in 60 to 120 days. A felony indictment with discovery, motion practice, and a contested suppression hearing can take 9 to 18 months. Federal cases follow the Speedy Trial Act's 70-day clock from indictment to trial, but motion-driven litigation routinely extends that under the § 3161(h) exclusion provisions.
What is the most important thing to do right after an arrest?
Do not give a statement. Do not consent to a search of your phone or your home. Do not call the alleged victim. Do not post about it on social media. Call a defense lawyer. Everything else — bond, magistration, conditions — we handle.
Can I get a Texas conviction off my record?
Sometimes. A dismissed or acquitted case is typically eligible for expunction under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. ch. 55 (full erasure from public and most private databases). A successfully completed deferred-adjudication probation 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 the public). Straight-probation convictions are generally not eligible for either. Our expunction page walks through the eligibility matrix.
How do I start?
Call (972) 370-5060 or use the contact form. The initial consultation is free and confidential. We will listen to the facts, give you a candid assessment, and quote a flat fee if we are the right firm for your case. If we are not, we will tell you that.
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