Burleson Sex Crimes & Sexual Assault Defense Attorney
Burleson straddles two counties, so where a sexual assault or sex-crime case is prosecuted depends on which side of the city line the alleged offense occurred. Cases from the Johnson County side go to Cleburne (the Guinn Justice Center); cases from the Tarrant County side go to Fort Worth (the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center). L and L Law Group defends sex crimes and sexual assault charges in the courts of both counties, from pre-arrest investigation through trial.
Burleson Sits in Two Counties — and That Changes Your Case
If you are searching for a sex crimes attorney in Burleson or a sexual assault lawyer in Burleson, the first thing to understand is that Burleson is not a single-county city. The municipal boundary crosses the Johnson County–Tarrant County line. The large majority of the city, including the historic downtown around Wilshire Boulevard and the neighborhoods to the south, lies in Johnson County, whose county seat is Cleburne. The city's northern edge, where Burleson runs up against south Fort Worth, falls inside Tarrant County. A smaller portion at the far edges has historically touched Ellis County, but for practical purposes a Burleson sex-offense case is a Johnson County case or a Tarrant County case, and the two systems do not work the same way.
This matters because jurisdiction is set by where the alleged conduct occurred, not by the accused person's home address or ZIP code. Two neighbors on opposite sides of the same street in Burleson can be routed to courthouses roughly forty miles apart. One of the first things we do on a new Burleson file is pin down the precise location of the alleged offense and confirm which county will file the charge, because that single fact determines which prosecutor's office reviews the case, which grand jury hears it, which judge sets bond, and where every future setting will be. A lawyer who practices in only one of these counties is, on a Burleson case, guessing about the other. We appear in both.
Johnson County routing (Cleburne)
When the alleged offense occurred on the Johnson County side of Burleson, the felony is filed in Cleburne and heard at the Guinn Justice Center, the county's criminal courts complex. Johnson County's felony district courts — the 18th, 249th, and 413th District Courts — handle felony sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, indecency, and related charges, while the county courts at law handle Class A and Class B misdemeanors such as indecent exposure. The elected Johnson County Criminal District Attorney prosecutes these cases, and felony charges are presented to a Johnson County grand jury before the case proceeds to a trial court. Arrestees on the Johnson County side are held at the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center in Cleburne after the initial booking.
Tarrant County routing (Fort Worth)
When the alleged offense occurred on the Tarrant County side of Burleson, the case is filed in Fort Worth and heard at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on West Belknap Street. Tarrant County's Criminal District Courts hear felony sex offenses, and its County Criminal Courts hear the misdemeanor-level offenses. The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office — a large office with prosecutors who focus on crimes against children and sexual-violence cases — reviews and tries these matters, and felonies go before a Tarrant County grand jury. Arrestees on the Tarrant County side are booked into the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth. The docket volume in Fort Worth is far heavier than in Cleburne, which affects how quickly a case moves and how contested trial settings are scheduled.
Who investigates, and where you are booked
Most sex-offense investigations that begin inside the city start with the Burleson Police Department, which operates a municipal holding facility for the initial booking. Burleson PD does not keep felony arrestees; once a person is charged with a felony sex offense, they are transferred to the jail of the county with jurisdiction — Cleburne for Johnson County, Fort Worth for Tarrant County. In cases involving a child complainant, a forensic interview is typically conducted at a Children's Advocacy Center rather than at the police station, and that recorded interview often becomes the centerpiece of the State's case. Regardless of which agency is involved, magistration — the hearing where a judge reads the accused their rights and sets bond and conditions — must occur within 48 hours of arrest under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 15.17. Having counsel engaged before that hearing is the difference between bond conditions that are argued and bond conditions that are simply imposed.
Sex Crime and Sexual Assault Charges We Defend for Burleson Clients
A "sex crime" is not one offense but a family of charges under the Texas Penal Code, ranging from misdemeanors to first-degree felonies that carry decades in prison and lifetime registration. We defend the full range for clients in Burleson and across Johnson and Tarrant counties:
- Sexual assault — Tex. Penal Code §22.011, a second-degree felony (and first-degree in certain circumstances). This is the core "sexual assault attorney Burleson" charge, covering non-consensual contact between adults and certain conduct with a child.
- Aggravated sexual assault — §22.021, a first-degree felony with a mandatory 25-year minimum when the complainant is very young.
- Indecency with a child — sexual contact or exposure involving a child under 17, a charge that frequently arises from a forensic-interview outcry.
- Online solicitation of a minor — internet-based communication cases, including sting operations in which the "minor" is an officer.
- Indecent exposure — a misdemeanor that can still trigger registration on a second offense and carries heavy collateral stigma.
- Possession of child pornography — device-based cases that raise complex search-and-seizure and forensic-attribution issues.
- Improper relationship between educator and student — a career-ending allegation for teachers and school staff.
- Failure to register as a sex offender — a standalone felony for those already on the registry.
For a person already carrying a registration duty, we also handle Texas sex-offender deregistration and early termination where the offense of conviction qualifies. And because the largest umbrella of internet and adult sex-offense searches centers on the metroplex, we connect Burleson clients to our broader Dallas sex crimes defense resources for a fuller picture of the offense range and defenses.
Punishment Ranges Under Texas Law
The stakes in a sex case are defined by the Penal Code, and the numbers are severe. The table below summarizes the core ranges. Because a judge or jury assesses punishment within these statutory brackets, and because registration attaches by operation of law, the real exposure in any given case is a combination of the sentence and the registration duty.
| Offense | Statute | Classification | Punishment range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indecent exposure | §21.08 | Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days jail; up to $2,000 fine |
| Online solicitation of a minor | §33.021 | Third- or second-degree felony | 2–10 or 2–20 years, by facts |
| Indecency with a child (contact) | §21.11(a)(1) | Second-degree felony | 2–20 years; up to $10,000 fine |
| Sexual assault | §22.011 | Second-degree felony* | 2–20 years; up to $10,000 fine |
| Aggravated sexual assault | §22.021 | First-degree felony | 5–99 years or life; 25-year minimum for young-child variants |
*Sexual assault under §22.011 rises to a first-degree felony in limited statutory circumstances, such as certain prohibited relationships between the parties. Aggravated sexual assault under §22.021 carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years when the complainant is younger than 6, or younger than 14 with specified aggravating circumstances, and a repeat offender with a qualifying prior can face a mandatory life sentence. Always confirm the current statute at statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
Registration: Often the Consequence That Outlasts the Sentence
For most sex offenses, a conviction — and in many cases a deferred adjudication — triggers a duty to register under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Depending on the offense, that duty runs for ten years after the sentence discharges or for the rest of the person's life. Registration is public, it follows the person to any city or state they move to, and it reaches into housing, employment, where a person may live relative to schools, and family life. For a young person in particular, a registrable conviction can define the next several decades.
Because of that, we treat registration exposure as a primary objective from the first meeting, not an afterthought at sentencing. Where the facts and the law allow, we negotiate toward a non-registrable disposition, a reduction to an offense outside Chapter 62, or a resolution that preserves a later path off the registry. When a client already carries a registration duty and the offense qualifies, we evaluate deregistration and early termination under the statutory framework. A defense that wins the sentence but ignores the registry has, in many cases, missed the point.
Why These Cases Are More Defensible Than They Feel
A sex-crime accusation is frightening precisely because it feels like the accusation itself is the verdict. It is not. Texas law requires the State to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and a large share of these cases rest on a single account with no physical corroboration. That is not a weakness in your defense — it is the terrain on which many of these cases are actually won. Common, legitimate defense themes include:
- One-sided allegations and motive to fabricate. Accusations frequently surface in the middle of a divorce, a custody fight, or a bitter breakup. We investigate the timing and the incentives behind a complaint, and we develop the documentary record — texts, emails, social media — that a one-sided police narrative leaves out.
- Forensic-interview problems. In child cases, interview technique matters enormously. Leading questions, repeated interviews, and coaching can shape a young witness's account. We obtain the recording and, where warranted, retain an expert to evaluate the methodology against accepted protocols.
- Consent and credibility in adult cases. Where consent is the issue, the case often turns on credibility and on evidence that contradicts the timeline — location data, messages exchanged before and after, and third-party accounts.
- Forensic and DNA context. A SANE exam or DNA result is not automatically inculpatory. Physical findings are frequently neutral, and the presence of DNA may be fully consistent with an admitted, lawful relationship. We make the State prove what its evidence actually shows.
- Unlawful searches. Phones, computers, and cloud accounts are searched aggressively in these cases. When officers exceed the scope of a warrant or act without one, we move to suppress under the Fourth Amendment and Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.23.
- The impossibility of the alleged timeline. People place themselves in narratives that the physical record disproves. We reconstruct the day using independent data and hold the account to it.
None of this is a promise about any particular outcome; every case turns on its own facts. But it explains why a case that looks hopeless on the surface deserves a genuine, investigated defense before anyone talks about a plea.
Case Timeline: Investigation to Disposition
A Burleson sex-offense case moves through six phases. What happens in the earliest phase — before and around arrest — often shapes everything that follows.
- Investigation and Pre-ArrestMany sex cases begin before an arrest, with a Burleson PD detective, a Johnson or Tarrant County investigator, or a Children's Advocacy Center forensic interview. This is the best window to involve counsel, decline a one-sided interview, and preserve exculpatory evidence.
- Arrest, Booking, and County RoutingAfter a warrant issues, the arrestee is booked at the Burleson municipal facility and transferred to the Johnson County jail in Cleburne or the Tarrant County jail in Fort Worth, depending on where the alleged offense occurred. Magistration follows within 48 hours under art. 15.17.
- Bond and ConditionsCounsel requests a bond hearing, presents community ties and sureties, and moves to narrow overbroad conditions — no-contact orders, monitoring, and internet restrictions — that can separate a parent from their own children.
- Grand Jury and IndictmentThe felony is presented to a grand jury in the county of jurisdiction. The defense can submit a packet urging a no-bill and preserves objections to a defective indictment.
- Discovery, Forensics, and MotionsMichael Morton Act discovery under art. 39.14 produces offense reports, forensic-interview recordings, and SANE and DNA reports. The defense files motions to suppress and retains experts where warranted.
- Disposition and Registration AnalysisDisposition can be dismissal, acquittal, deferred adjudication, probation, or prison — each measured against Chapter 62 registration exposure, which often outweighs the sentence itself.
How L and L Law Group Defends a Burleson Sex Case
We run every sex-offense file through the same disciplined protocol, and because Burleson sits in two counties, we do it in whichever courthouse the case belongs — Cleburne or Fort Worth.
- Confidential Case AssessmentWe respond quickly whether an arrest has happened or only a detective has called. The first review confirms which county has jurisdiction and what investigative stage the case is in.
- Pre-Charge InterventionWhere the case is still under investigation, we shield the client from a one-sided interview, preserve texts and location data, and where possible present information to the prosecutor before charges are filed.
- Discovery and Independent ForensicsWe obtain forensic-interview recordings, SANE reports, and any DNA under the Michael Morton Act, and retain independent experts to test suggestive interview techniques and neutral forensic findings.
- Motion Practice and SuppressionMotions to suppress unwarned statements and unlawful device searches, motions in limine on extraneous-offense evidence, and challenges to the reliability of the State's forensic proof.
- Resolution — Dismissal, Non-Registrable Plea, or TrialWe negotiate from trial readiness toward dismissal or a non-registrable disposition where the facts allow, and we try the case to a jury in Cleburne or Fort Worth when the State will not offer a just resolution.
Local Court, Jail & Bond Resources
Burleson straddles two counties, and that is the single most important logistical fact in one of these cases: which county the alleged offense occurred in decides where the case is booked, bonded, and tried. A Burleson arrest most often routes to Johnson County — the Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne, where the district courts and county courts at law sit, with booking at the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center. When the offense is alleged to have happened on the Tarrant County side of the city, the case instead goes to the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center at 401 W. Belknap Street in Fort Worth, with booking at the Tarrant County jail. Burleson PD may hold a person briefly, but felony sex cases are transferred to the county that has jurisdiction.
In either county the magistrate sets bond within 48 hours under art. 15.17 using the art. 17.15 factors, and release conditions in sex cases are strict from the outset. Because the county matters so much here, we have gathered resources for both:
- Burleson municipal court & city jail guide — local police contact and how a two-county case gets routed.
- Johnson County jail, inmate search & court directory — for cases heard in Cleburne.
- Tarrant County jail, inmate search & court directory — for cases heard in Fort Worth.
- How bail works in Texas — magistration, bond types, and the 17.15 factors explained.
- Bond-reduction attorney in Johnson County and outstanding-warrant help in Johnson County — for the Cleburne side.
- Texas bail-bond requirements and bond conditions — the statewide rules that apply in either courthouse.
- Active warrant help — LiftMyWarrant — our resource for resolving a warrant before an arrest.
Free, Confidential Consultation
Tell us what happened. We respond seven days a week. There is no obligation, and your message is protected by attorney-client privilege under Tex. Disciplinary R. Prof. Conduct 1.05.
Burleson Sex Crimes & Sexual Assault FAQ
Which county handles a sex-crime case from Burleson, Johnson or Tarrant?
It depends on where in the city the alleged offense occurred. Burleson straddles two counties. Most of the city, including the historic downtown and the areas south of about County Road 714, sits in Johnson County, and those cases are prosecuted in Cleburne at the Guinn Justice Center. The northern neighborhoods that fall inside the Tarrant County line are prosecuted in Fort Worth at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. The county line, not your mailing address, controls where the felony is filed, so one of the first things we confirm is which side of the line the location falls on.
Where is someone arrested in Burleson booked and held?
The Burleson Police Department operates a municipal holding facility for the initial booking, but a felony sex-offense arrestee is transferred to the jail of the county with jurisdiction. Johnson County cases go to the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center in Cleburne; Tarrant County cases go to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth. Magistration, where a judge sets bond and reads the accused their rights, happens within 48 hours under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 15.17. We work to have counsel involved before that hearing so bond and conditions are argued, not rubber-stamped.
What is the punishment for sexual assault under Texas Penal Code Section 22.011?
Sexual assault under Tex. Penal Code §22.011 is a second-degree felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. It rises to a first-degree felony (5 to 99 years or life) in limited circumstances the statute lists, such as certain relationships between the parties. Aggravated sexual assault under §22.021 is a first-degree felony carrying 5 to 99 years or life, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years when the complainant is younger than 6, or younger than 14 with specified aggravating circumstances.
Can I be charged in Burleson before I am arrested?
Yes, and many sex-offense cases start that way. A detective from Burleson PD, a Johnson County or Tarrant County investigator, or a Children's Advocacy Center forensic interviewer may build a case for weeks before any warrant issues. That pre-arrest window is the single best opportunity to have a lawyer intervene: to decline a one-sided police interview, to preserve exculpatory evidence such as texts and location data, and sometimes to present information to the prosecutor before charges are ever filed. If a detective has contacted you, treat it as urgent and call before you talk to them.
Will a sex-crime conviction put me on the Texas sex offender registry?
Most sex offenses under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure carry a registration duty, which can run for ten years after the sentence discharges or for life, depending on the offense. Registration is a separate, lifelong-in-many-cases consequence that follows you regardless of where you move. Because the registration exposure is often more damaging than the sentence itself, we treat it as a central issue from day one, negotiating toward non-registrable dispositions where the facts and law allow and, in eligible cases, pursuing deregistration later.
What bond conditions are common in Burleson-area sex cases?
In both Johnson and Tarrant county courts, judges routinely impose no-contact orders with the complainant, no unsupervised contact with minors, GPS or ankle monitoring in aggravated cases, surrender of firearms, internet-use restrictions in online-solicitation cases, and sometimes a curfew. These conditions can separate a parent from their own children before any trial. We file for bond reductions and for modification of overbroad conditions promptly, presenting employment, ties to the Burleson community, and third-party sureties to the court.
How does a forensic interview or SANE exam affect my case?
In child cases, a forensic interview at a Children's Advocacy Center is frequently the centerpiece of the State's evidence; in adult cases, a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam and any DNA collected drive the file. None of it is beyond challenge. Interview techniques can be suggestive, timelines can conflict with digital records, and forensic findings are often neutral or consistent with innocence. We obtain the recordings and reports in discovery under the Michael Morton Act and, where warranted, retain independent experts to review the methodology.
Are these cases really defensible when it is one person's word against another?
Yes. A large share of sex-offense allegations rest on a single accusation without physical corroboration, and Texas law does not treat an accusation as proof. The State still must prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt. We investigate motive to fabricate, inconsistencies between statements, contradictory text messages and social media, and the physical impossibility of an alleged timeline. A case that looks like he-said-she-said on the surface often has a documentary record that tells a different story.
How long does a Burleson sex-crime case take to resolve?
Felony sex cases in Johnson County and Tarrant County generally take 12 to 24 months from arrest to disposition. The timeline reflects the grand jury cycle, extensive forensic and expert review, and crowded felony trial dockets in Cleburne and Fort Worth. A defendant on bond can use that time to build a thorough defense. We do not rush a weak case to a plea; we prepare every file as if it will be tried and negotiate from that position of readiness.
Why hire L and L Law Group for a Burleson sex-crime case?
Because Burleson sits in two counties, you need counsel who works the courts in both Cleburne and Fort Worth, not just one. Co-Founding Partners Reggie London (Bar 24043514) and Njeri London (Bar 24043266) review every sex-offense file together, appear in Johnson County and Tarrant County courts, and treat registration exposure as seriously as the sentence. From our Frisco office we serve Burleson and the wider North Texas region. Consultations are confidential and available seven days a week at (972) 370-5060.
Related Defense Resources
This page is attorney advertising and educational legal information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutory references are current as of the date of publication; consult the Texas Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure at statutes.capitol.texas.gov for the latest text. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.