Dallas murder cases reached 200 cases for 2020 and many of the suspects arrested remain in jail on high bonds. The record setting trend of Dallas murder cases has brought increased scrutiny on the Dallas Police Department and other officials to lower the murder rate and to punish those charged with murder.
Prosecutors with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office offer long prison terms as part of plea offers in Dallas murder cases. Even when a defendant is young and has no criminal record it isn’t unusual for the prosecution to offer 30 years for a plea deal. Prosecutors are under pressure from victim’s family members and the public to offer tough plea deals in murder cases. As a result a high percentage of Dallas murder cases are disposed of by jury trial.
When facing a Dallas murder charge it is essential that a defendant has the best Dallas Murder lawyer on his side. A defense for a Dallas murder case begins right away. A defendant should not speak to law enforcement prior to consulting with an experience criminal attorney The criminal attorney must know all the facts before he or she can begin planning the defense.
One of the first things a criminal attorney will want to determine is if there were any witnesses to the incident. The police don’t always locate or interview all witnesses involved in a murder case. It is important to locate these witnesses and have them interviewed. If the defendant knew the suspect it is important to examine all text messages or any other messages or information on social media. This kind of information can be very helpful to a defense in a murder charge.
Murder cases must go through the grand jury to determine if the is enough evidence to forward. The prosecution only needs to have enough evidence for probable cause to indict. That is not a high burden of proof. If there is strong evidence of self defense the criminal attorney may submit a grand jury packet and try and convince the grand jury to No Bill the case. Unless the criminal lawyer believes that there is a good chance for a No Bill he may wait to present the defense at trial . Then the prosecution doesn’t get a preview of the defense case.
In Texas the range of punishment for a murder charge is 5 years in prison to 99 years or a life sentence. A person can not receive probation if they are convicted of murder.