San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney

A criminal charge in Bexar County starts moving the moment officers take you in, and the first days often shape what the case looks like months later. Someone stopped for a DWI on the North Side, a person facing a felony drug charge before a job background check clears, a business owner who learns a federal agency has been building a file: each faces a system that begins its work at the arrest, not at the trial.

That system does not slow down for you to prepare. Prosecutors start assembling their case from the first booking record, evidence gets preserved or lost in the earliest hours, and choices made before you have counsel can close doors that stay closed. A statement given to police without a lawyer present, or a missed window to request a license hearing after a DWI, can shrink the defense long before anyone stands in front of a judge.

We defend people against the full span of Texas criminal charges, from misdemeanors to felonies to federal cases, throughout San Antonio and Austin. Our practice pairs jury trial experience in both state and federal courts with defense strategies built for the specific charge you face, whether it starts in a Bexar County court or the federal courthouse. You can take the next step with a free consultation.

Why Work With Our San Antonio Criminal Defense Team

Most people reach us holding something concrete: a bond receipt from the county, an arrest report, a charge sheet from a DWI stop, or a letter from a federal agent asking to talk. What they want at that point is a straight read on where they stand and someone who will handle the case personally rather than route it through a chain of staff.

That is the practice Raul V. Treviño built. He works directly with each client, in English or Spanish, and brings the courtroom background a serious charge calls for.

• More than 20 years of litigation experience in Texas state and federal courts
• Licensed in both Texas state court and federal court, including the Western District of Texas
• Jury trial experience across misdemeanors, felonies, and federal charges
• Bilingual representation in English and Spanish
• A solo practice model, so clients work with Raul directly rather than a rotating set of associates
• Free consultations for every new matter

The stakes reach past the courtroom. A conviction can affect a professional license, immigration status, an employment background check, housing eligibility, or a parent’s standing in a custody matter. We keep those consequences in view from the first meeting, and we represent clients across San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

Client Testimonials

“Raul, cant thank you enough for making my case a smooth one. By far a great lawyer! Fastest turn around I’ve experienced with a lawyer. Always kept me up to date and got the CASE DISMISSED!!! If your looking for a lawyer, Raul Trevino is for YOU!” — Matt E.

“Raul helped me so much. This was my first time ever being in any type of legal trouble and he made it as least stressful and as painless as he could and he managed to get me a good deal and kept me out of jail. I will definitely be using his services again in the future when I need it. Thank you Raul!!” — Tyler M.

What Does a Criminal Charge Mean for Your Future in Texas?

A criminal charge in Texas carries consequences that outlast the case, and how far they reach depends first on whether the offense is a misdemeanor or a felony. Texas Penal Code Chapter 12 sorts offenses into these two groups and sets the punishment range for each.

Misdemeanors divide into Class C, Class B, and Class A, moving from fine-only citations up to offenses that can bring as much as a year in county jail. Felonies run from state jail felonies through third, second, and first degree up to capital offenses, with sentences that can reach years or decades in prison.

The record that follows a conviction is its own consequence. A conviction can surface on a background check, reach a professional licensing board, affect immigration status, and, for a felony, cost a person the right to vote while incarcerated and the right to own a firearm. We build a defense around the conviction the charge could become and the cost that would follow it, not the charge in isolation.

What Happens After an Arrest in San Antonio?

After an arrest in San Antonio, most people are taken to Central Magistration, where a magistrate reviews the charges and sets bond. Bexar County runs its post-arrest magistration through the Central Magistrate Office, and its felony cases are heard in the ten Criminal District Courts and the Criminal Law Magistrate Court, with the County Courts at Law handling misdemeanors.

From magistration, a case moves toward arraignment, pretrial hearings, and trial if it does not resolve first. The earliest stages tend to carry the most weight. What a person says to officers before counsel arrives can become evidence, which is why the rights that apply during a police encounter matter from the first contact and why the first call to a lawyer often sets the direction of everything after.

A DWI arrest starts a second clock. In many DWI cases, a person has a short window, commonly 15 days, to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing and contest a driver’s license suspension. That deadline runs on its own administrative track, separate from the criminal charge, so reaching a defense attorney early keeps it from passing unnoticed.

What Criminal Charges Do We Defend in San Antonio?

We defend the range of charges a person can face in Bexar County and across Texas, and the charge itself sets the stakes. What you are accused of determines the penalty exposure, the court that hears it, and the mark it can leave on your record.

• DWI and DUI. A charge moves on two tracks at once, the criminal case and the administrative license question, and DWI defense has to account for both.
• Drug possession and delivery. Texas grades drug crimes by substance and amount, and an alleged delivery can push a charge into felony range quickly.
• Assault and domestic violence. These can bring protective orders and firearm restrictions, even when the charge stays at the misdemeanor level.
• Felony charges. Aggravated assault, weapons offenses, and sex crimes carry the longest exposure and the most durable record consequences.
• Theft and property crimes. The value involved sets the classification, and a felony theft conviction follows a person well past the sentence.
• Federal criminal charges. Federal cases run on separate procedures and sentencing rules, and Raul is licensed in the Western District of Texas to handle them.

For charges that cross into federal court, or for larger matters that reach into Dallas and Houston, the same direct representation applies from the first meeting forward.

How Do We Build a Defense for Criminal Charges in Texas?

Building a defense starts with a close look at how the case against you was made. We review the arrest for constitutional problems, question the traffic stop or search that produced the evidence, and test whether the State collected and handled that evidence properly.

The Fourth Amendment limits how police may search and seize, and the Fifth Amendment protects a person from being made to incriminate themselves. When a stop, a search, or an interrogation crosses those lines, the evidence it produced may be open to challenge through a motion to suppress. Where testing or chain-of-custody handling breaks down, that becomes part of the defense as well.

The work runs on direct client contact. Attorney Raul Treviño evaluates the case early, explains the options in plain terms, and communicates in English or Spanish so nothing gets lost in translation. That early read is what lets a defense take shape while the choices are still open.

Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Defense in San Antonio

How Much Does a Criminal Defense Attorney Cost in Texas?

Fees depend on the charge, the complexity of the case, and whether it resolves early or goes to trial, so a single figure rarely fits. A misdemeanor handled through negotiation and a felony that reaches a jury sit at very different points. We offer free consultations, and that first meeting is where the cost of your specific case gets explained before you commit to anything.

Do I Need a Lawyer if I Plan to Plead Guilty?

Yes. Even a guilty plea has terms that can be negotiated, including a reduced charge, a sentencing recommendation, or eligibility for a diversion or treatment program. A plea entered without counsel locks in consequences that an attorney might have reduced, so it is worth a conversation before you decide.

What Is the Difference Between a Misdemeanor and a Felony in Texas?

Texas Penal Code Chapter 12 splits offenses into misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors fall into Class C, B, and A, ranging from fine-only offenses up to a year in county jail. Felonies run from state jail felonies through first degree and capital offenses, carrying prison time that can reach decades. The classification drives both the penalty and the record that follows.

Can Criminal Charges Be Dismissed in Texas?

In some cases, yes, depending on the facts. Charges may be dismissed when the evidence is insufficient, when a constitutional violation occurred, or when a procedural error undermines the State’s case. Whether that path is open turns on the specifics, so it helps to have an attorney review what happened before you assume anything about the outcome.

Does The Law Office of Raul V. Treviño Handle Federal Criminal Charges?

Yes. Raul is licensed in the Western District of Texas and represents clients in federal criminal cases, which follow their own procedures and sentencing rules. For larger federal matters, we also serve clients in Dallas and Houston in addition to San Antonio and Austin.

Facing Criminal Charges in San Antonio? Here Is How to Start

An arrest, a filed charge, or a call from an investigator in San Antonio or Austin leaves you with fast decisions and little time. The sooner a defense attorney reviews what happened, the more room there usually is to act on it.

We represent clients against state and federal charges across San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, and Houston, in English and Spanish, starting with a free consultation. Call 210-409-8788 or contact us online to talk through your situation. With more than 20 years of trial experience in Texas state and federal courts, Raul brings jury trial background across the full charge spectrum to each case, from the first call through its resolution.