Have you, a friend or a loved one been accused or arrested for the crime of murder? If so, it is critical that you contact The Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys, PLLC now to schedule a consultation to learn about your legal rights and options under the law!

Normally, a homicide investigation will result in an attempt by a detective to convince you to cooperate by giving a statement and agreeing to be questioned at the police station. If you have received a phone call from a Tarrant County detective regarding a murder investigation and he is asking you to come in to the police station and “tell your side of the story,” it is critical that you understand that the police detective has very little interest in knowing your side of the story.

 

Homicide detectives are trained to befriend their suspects and empathize with their suspects and act like they care about you and have your best interests in mind. The truth is, most Tarrant County homicide detectives will not give you the opportunity to tell your side of the story and will, instead, interrogate you and look to twist innocent truthful statements you make to appear to be incriminating to lead to an arrest. Choosing to cooperate in a murder investigation is never a good idea without the assistance of an experience criminal attorney to counsel you through the process.

 

Under Texas Penal Code, Section 19.02, a person commits the crime of murder if he intentionally causes the death of an individual; intends to cause serious bodily injury and commits an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual; or commits or attempts to commit a felony, other than manslaughter, and in the course of and in furtherance of the commission or attempt, or in immediate flight from the commission or attempt, he commits or attempts to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual.

 

When determining and proving the element of causation, the Texas Penal Code states that “adequate cause” means cause that would commonly produce a degree of anger, rage, resentment, or terror in a person of ordinary temper, sufficient to render the mind incapable of cool reflection. “Sudden passion” means passion directly caused by and arising out of provocation by the individual killed or another acting with the person killed which passion arises at the time of the offense and is not solely the result of former provocation.

 

At the punishment stage of a trial, the citizen charged with murder may raise the issue as to whether he caused the death under the immediate influence of sudden passion arising from an adequate cause. If the defendant proves the issue in the affirmative by a preponderance of the evidence, the offense is a felony of the second degree and can be punished by a term in prison of not less than 2 years but not more than 20 years.

 

Under normal circumstances, the crime of murder is a felony of the first degree. If convicted and sentenced to prison, a citizen charged with murder could face a prison sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 99 years or life. As you can see, a conviction for murder could result in serious long-term consequences that could result in the following: prison time, an extended probation term, and/or a permanent limitation in your ability to get a job and the stigma of being labeled a murderer.

 

It is critical that you call The Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys, PLLC now for a free consultation. At The Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys, PLLC, you will find an aggressive and experienced criminal defense firm that will thoroughly investigate your case and explore all possible defenses available to you under the law.

 

Contact the Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys, PLLC now to schedule a free consultation to determine your rights and legal options at 817-877-5200.