Texas felony charges carry consequences that reach far beyond the sentence. A Board Certified criminal defense attorney — and former federal prosecutor — gives you the inside knowledge your case demands.
Schedule a Confidential ConsultationThe Weight of a Felony Charge
Texas felony charges are divided into five categories: state jail felony, third-degree felony, second-degree felony, first-degree felony, and capital felony. Each carries substantially different punishment ranges — from 180 days in a state jail facility up to life in prison for a capital offense. Beyond the sentence itself, a felony conviction in Texas results in the loss of your right to vote while incarcerated, the loss of your right to possess a firearm, and a permanent public criminal record.
Many felony convictions also trigger collateral consequences in employment, housing, professional licensing, federal student loans, and immigration status. These effects often outlast the sentence by years or decades.
Brent spent his career building cases like these for the government — at the state level and in federal court. He understands how evidence is gathered and presented, what prosecutors need to prove, and where defenses have the most leverage. He brings that inside knowledge to every felony case he handles at Chapell Law.
Texas Felony Punishment Ranges
- State Jail Felony: 180 days – 2 years in a state jail facility; up to $10,000 fine
- Third-Degree Felony: 2 – 10 years in prison; up to $10,000 fine
- Second-Degree Felony: 2 – 20 years in prison; up to $10,000 fine
- First-Degree Felony: 5 – 99 years or life in prison; up to $10,000 fine
- Capital Felony: Life without parole or death
Enhancements can increase these ranges. A prior felony conviction, for example, can elevate a state jail felony to a third-degree felony, and prior convictions can trigger habitual offender enhancements that require minimum prison sentences.
How Felony Cases Are Handled in Texas
The Grand Jury
Most felony charges in Texas require a grand jury indictment before a case can proceed to trial. The grand jury process is one-sided — only the prosecutor presents evidence — but it creates an early opportunity for a skilled defense attorney to influence the outcome. Brent can submit evidence or a written presentation to the grand jury, and in appropriate cases, can sometimes prevent an indictment entirely.
Pretrial Investigation and Motions
Before any trial, Brent conducts a full investigation of the case: reviewing discovery, identifying unlawful searches or seizures, challenging improperly obtained statements, and filing suppression motions where the law supports them. The pretrial phase often determines the trajectory of a case. Evidence that is suppressed is evidence the jury never sees.
Plea Negotiations
When a negotiated resolution is in a client's best interest, Brent engages prosecutors with a clear-eyed view of the evidence and a thorough understanding of what the state would face at trial. Having spent years on the prosecution side, he knows what matters in those conversations — and what doesn't.
Trial
Brent is a trial attorney. If going to trial is the right decision for your case, he prepares thoroughly and presents your defense with precision. Many defense attorneys rarely see the inside of a courtroom. Brent has tried cases in both state and federal court and understands what it takes to present a defense effectively to a jury.
Board Certified. Former Prosecutor. Your Defense Attorney.
Board Certification in Criminal Law is held by fewer than 2% of Texas attorneys. It reflects demonstrated competency, substantial courtroom experience, peer review, and a rigorous written examination. Brent holds that certification — and he has the additional advantage of having spent more than a decade on the other side of the cases he now defends.
When you call Chapell Law, you speak directly with Brent. No intake staff. No hand-offs. One attorney who will evaluate your case honestly and tell you exactly where you stand.
Houston Felony Defense Lawyer
Houston Criminal Defense
A felony charge puts everything on the table: liberty, livelihood, and civil rights. Defending one demands trial-tested judgment and a defense built to survive review — at trial and, if necessary, on appeal.
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Board Certified
Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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Former Appellate Chief
Chief of the Appellate Division, Montgomery County DA's Office — 200+ criminal appeals and habeas writs
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Former Federal Prosecutor
Appellate Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, S.D. Texas — 80+ Fifth Circuit appeals and writs
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Court Admissions
State Bar of Texas · U.S. District Court, S.D. Texas · Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals · U.S. Supreme Court
Serious Charges, Serious Method
How a Felony Defense Gets Built
Felony cases are marathons: grand jury proceedings, extensive discovery, expert evidence, and pretrial motions that can reshape the case before a jury is ever selected. Each stage is an opportunity — to exclude evidence, to narrow charges, to change the State’s calculus.
Brent brings first-chair trial experience across the full range of criminal cases from his years as a prosecutor, and something rarer: a Board Certified appellate specialist’s discipline about the record. Objections preserved and errors protected during trial are what make a conviction reversible if the worst happens.
That dual perspective — trial and appellate — means no door is closed carelessly at any stage of the case.
Houston Felony Defense Lawyer
A felony charge is the most serious category of criminal offense in Texas. The consequences — prison time, lifetime collateral effects, loss of civil rights — demand a defense built around the specific facts of your case, not a generic approach.
Brent Chapell is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has tried felony cases to verdict in state and federal court and brings prosecutorial experience to every case he defends.
Felony Cases Brent Defends
- Aggravated assault
- Sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault
- Murder and manslaughter
- Drug possession and delivery
- Robbery and aggravated robbery
- Burglary and theft
- Federal drug trafficking
- Weapons offenses
- White collar and fraud
Texas Felony Punishment Ranges
Texas felonies range from state jail felonies (180 days to 2 years) through first-degree felonies (5 to 99 years or life). Enhancements, prior convictions, and specific offense categories can dramatically increase the range. Understanding the actual exposure in your case is the first step in building a defense strategy.
The Consequences Go Beyond Prison
A felony conviction carries consequences that persist long after any sentence: loss of the right to vote, loss of the right to possess a firearm, ineligibility for certain professional licenses, immigration consequences, and a permanent criminal record. Brent evaluates the full picture, not just the immediate charge.
Board Certified in Criminal Law
Brent is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a designation held by fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys. Board certification requires demonstrated experience, peer review, and passage of a written examination. It means Brent's criminal defense practice is not ancillary to other work.
Former Federal Prosecutor
Brent prosecuted federal cases before he defended them. He understands how investigations are built, how the government develops witnesses, and what arguments resonate with juries — because he made them. That experience shapes how he approaches every defense.
Trial Experience Matters
Most criminal cases resolve without trial. But the willingness and ability to try a case changes how prosecutors approach negotiations. Brent has tried cases to verdict in state and federal court. That trial record affects what outcomes are available to his clients.
Early Representation Is Critical
In many felony cases, the most important decisions are made before charges are formally filed: whether to cooperate, how to respond to investigators, whether to seek a grand jury presentation. Brent can advise at every stage — including before an arrest.
Schedule a confidential consultation. Email brent@chapell-law.com or call (713) 496-2221.
Build the Defense Like an Appeal Is Coming
The best felony defense wins now and protects every option later. Start with a candid, free consultation.
(713) 496-2221 · Free consultation · brent@chapell-law.com