Houston Murder Defense Attorney

Manslaughter Charges Lawyer in the City of Houston, TX, Defends the Rights of Clients Facing Homicide Charges in Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, and Throughout Texas

Have you been charged with homicide in Houston? Homicide crimes like murder and manslaughter are considered the most serious offenses under the law and carry the harshest punishments. When your freedom and potentially your life are on the line, you need top-notch legal representation to advocate in your defense. Turn to a Houston murder defense attorney from Chernoff Law for help.

I am attorney Ed Chernoff, and for more than three decades I’ve been a practicing attorney in the field of criminal law. My career has spanned both sides of the criminal courtroom, as I spent five years as one of the top prosecutors in the Harris County DA’s offices. I left the prosecutor’s office in 1991, deciding that I wanted to use my experience and insight to help people unfortunate enough to be accused of committing crimes. Since then, I’ve represented clients in thousands of cases in Texas and across the country, including some complex and high-profile homicide and violent crime cases.

Reach out to my criminal defense firm for a free initial consultation if you are facing homicide charges. I can help you better understand your legal options in your case and discuss how a manslaughter charges lawyer in the City of Houston, TX, can assist you with protecting your freedom, reputation, and future.  

Chernoff Law Defends Clients in All Kinds of Homicide Cases

Let me advocate for your rights and interest if you are facing criminal homicide charges in the Greater Houston area. I represent clients charged with offenses under Title 5, Chapter 19 of the Texas Penal Code, including:

• Murder – Intentionally or knowingly causing the death of an individual either through malice aforethought or sudden passion or provocation, or intending to cause serious bodily injury and commiting a dangerous act that causes an individual’s death, or committing or attempting to commit a felony that results in an individual’s death
• Capital murder – Murdering a peace officer or firefighter acting in the course of their duties, or intentionally committing murder in the course of certain violent offenses, committing murder for money, committing murder while attempting escape from prison, murdering more than one person in the same criminal act or course of criminal conduct, murdering an individual under the age of 15, or murdering a judge or justice in retaliation for their official duties
• Manslaughter – Recklessly causing the death of an individual
• Criminally negligent homicide – Causing the death of an individual through criminal negligence

I also represent clients charged with homicide offenses under federal law in 18 U.S.C. Chapter 51, including homicides that occur in the course of other federal crimes, homicides of federal employees and officials in the course of their duties, homicide of foreign officials, or homicides committed through terrorist acts.

Penalties for a Murder or Manslaughter Conviction in Texas

Under Texas criminal law, homicide crimes are charged as felony offenses. Gradings of homicide offenses include:

• Premeditated murder: First-degree felony
• Sudden passion/provocation murder; Second-degree felony
• Capital murder: Capital felony
• Manslaughter: Second-degree felony:
• Criminally negligent homicide: State jail felony

Penalties for felony convictions include:

• State jail felony: State jail term of 180 days to two years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• Second-degree felony: Imprisonment for two to 20 years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• First-degree felony: Imprisonment for life, or a term of 5 to 99 years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• Capital felony: Imprisonment for life without parole, or the death penalty

Turn to a Houston Murder Defense Attorney from Chernoff Law to Help You Protect Your Freedom and Future

You need experienced legal representation if you have been charged with murder or another homicide offense in Houston. Conviction for a homicide offense typically carries penalties of decades in prison, or may potentially result in a death sentence. Reach out to my firm to get help from a manslaughter charges lawyer in the City of Houston, TX. I will promptly get to work on your case by:

• Thoroughly investigating the underlying facts of your case to recover all available evidence, rather than just relying on the investigation and evidence obtained by the prosecution
• Sitting down with you to answer all the questions you have about your case so that you understand the charges you are facing and what you can expect throughout the process
• Working with forensic experts if necessary to sift through crime scene evidence
• Defending your constitutional rights by moving to exclude any evidence that was unlawfully obtained by the police
• Discussing your needs and goals with you to determine what strategies to pursue to achieve the results you want in your case
• Vigorously pursuing the best possible outcome to your charges by negotiating a favorable plea deal, if appropriate, or presenting a strong, persuasive defense case if you choose to contest your charges at trial

Contact Chernoff Law to Discuss Your Options and Potential Resolutions to Your Charges with a Manslaughter Charges Lawyer in the City of Houston, TX

Contact me today for a confidential case evaluation after you have been arrested and charged with homicide. Don’t leave the outcome of your criminal case to chance. Get the experienced legal representation you need during this critical moment in your life.

Houston Murder Defense Attorney Answers Frequently Asked Questions