Areas of Law · Forrest Good PLLC
Criminal Defense in San Antonio & Bexar County
A criminal charge is frightening because the power is one-sided. A defense lawyer’s job is to even it: to make the State prove its case, protect your rights, and give you straight answers and a clear plan.
What Is at Stake
Felonies and misdemeanors carry consequences that reach past the courtroom: your job, your record, your family, your freedom. Texas grades offenses by class and degree, and the ranges are real. A Class A misdemeanor can carry up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000,1 and a first-degree felony can carry five to 99 years or life and a fine of up to $10,000.2 Forrest Good defends people across San Antonio and Bexar County and is of counsel to Rutherford PLLC, so civil exposure that grows out of a criminal matter has a hand a door away.
The Presumption Is Yours
Under Texas law, every person is presumed innocent, and no one may be convicted unless the State proves each element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt; an arrest, a charge, or an indictment gives rise to no inference of guilt at trial.3 The right to a lawyer is just as fundamental. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the accused the assistance of counsel for the defense,4 and in Gideon v. Wainwright the Supreme Court held that this right applies in state courts and that a person who cannot afford a lawyer must be provided one.5 Texas builds that promise into its own law, entitling a defendant to counsel in adversary proceedings and providing for appointed counsel for those who cannot afford it.6 That counsel matters is not a slogan: in the nation’s 75 largest counties, court-appointed lawyers represented about 82 percent of felony defendants in the studied period.7
What to Expect
An honest read of the case, the evidence examined closely, and a defense built around your actual goals rather than a script. You are kept informed at every step, because being in the dark is its own punishment.
- Anyone arrested or under investigation in Bexar County
- People charged with a misdemeanor or felony
- Families trying to help someone who was just charged
- Anyone who needs straight answers about what comes next
Common Questions
What should I do right after an arrest?
Talk to a lawyer before you talk to anyone else. What you say early can shape the whole case.
Will my case go to trial?
Many resolve before trial, but you want a lawyer who prepares as if it will. That preparation protects you in every negotiation.
Can a charge be kept off my record?
Sometimes, through dismissal, expunction, or nondisclosure. Forrest Good tells you what is realistically possible in your case.
What should I have ready when I call?
Have any arrest paperwork, the charges, and any court notices nearby. If you do not have them yet, that is fine; Forrest Good can help you find them.
Sources & Authorities
Statutes, the constitutional right to counsel, and figures on this page link to their official sources. Provided for transparency and general information, not as legal advice.
- Tex. Penal Code § 12.21, Class A Misdemeanor (punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4,000). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Penal Code § 12.32, First Degree Felony Punishment (imprisonment for life or 5 to 99 years and a fine up to $10,000). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Tex. Penal Code § 2.01, Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (presumption of innocence; arrest, confinement, indictment, or charge gives rise to no inference of guilt). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- U.S. Const. amend. VI (the accused “shall enjoy the right … to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence”). law.cornell.edu ↩
- Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963) (Sixth Amendment right to appointed counsel applies to the states for defendants who cannot afford a lawyer). law.cornell.edu ↩
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 1.051, Right to Representation by Counsel (defendant entitled to counsel in adversary proceedings; appointed counsel for an indigent defendant). statutes.capitol.texas.gov ↩
- Caroline Wolf Harlow, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Defense Counsel in Criminal Cases” (court-appointed counsel represented 82% of state felony defendants in the 75 largest counties in 1996). bjs.ojp.gov ↩
- State Bar of Texas, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.01 (communications concerning a lawyer’s services). texasbar.com ↩
King William Law Center is a shared office for independent firms. This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Forrest Good PLLC, not King William Law Center, provides the legal services described here. The practice of law in Texas is governed by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.8 Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.