Assault and Family Violence
Including family-violence accusations and protective orders.
What an assault charge means
In Texas, assault can mean causing someone injury, threatening someone with injury, or touching someone in a way they find offensive or provocative. Some charges are misdemeanors; others, such as aggravated assault (which involves a serious injury or a weapon), are felonies.
When the person involved is a family member, someone you live with, or someone you are dating or have dated, the case is usually called family violence (sometimes "domestic violence"). Family-violence cases have extra rules and consequences.
What may be at stake
Depending on the charge and your history, an assault or family-violence case may affect:
- Your freedom, through jail or prison time or probation
- Where you can live, and contact with your partner or children, through bond conditions or a protective order
- Your right to own or have a firearm
- Your job, a professional license, or immigration status
- Future cases, because a family-violence finding can make a later accusation more serious
How a Tarrant County case usually moves
Every case is different, and the steps and timing can vary. We also handle cases in the counties around Tarrant County; the general steps are similar, but each county's courts have their own schedules and practices. In general:
- Arrest and bond. A judge (magistrate) sets bond. In family-violence cases, the judge may also issue an emergency protective order and set conditions such as no contact with the other person or staying away from the home.
- Charging. Misdemeanors go to a county criminal court. Felonies go to a grand jury, which decides whether to formally charge (indict) the case.
- Evidence review. Your attorney reviews 911 calls, body-camera video, photos, medical records and witness statements.
- Resolution. The case may be dismissed, reduced, resolved by agreement, or go to trial. You decide whether to accept an offer or go to trial.
How our attorneys help
- We explain your bond conditions and any protective order, so you don't accidentally break them.
- We gather the full picture: what led up to the incident, what witnesses saw, and whether you acted in self-defense.
- We review recordings and records closely for gaps and inconsistencies.
- We can ask the court to change bond conditions when they are keeping you from your home or children.
Questions people ask about assault charges.
The other person wants to drop the charges. Can they?
Not on their own. In Texas, the State decides whether to continue a case, not the person who called police. What they want can still matter, so talk with an attorney before anyone contacts the prosecutor.
There's a no-contact order. Can we talk if they contact me first?
No. A no-contact condition applies to you, even if the other person reaches out first or says it's okay. Breaking it can lead to a new arrest. If the order is causing hardship, an attorney can ask the court to change it.
What if I was defending myself?
Self-defense can be a legal defense in Texas. Whether it applies depends on the facts, so write down what you remember and share it only with your attorney.
Can this affect my gun rights?
Yes, some convictions and protective orders limit the right to own or have a firearm. Ask an attorney how this applies to your case.
You may also want to read.
Facing Charges: What Happens Next?
The usual steps after an arrest.
Read →Someone I Love Was Arrested
How to find them, bond basics, and how to help.
Read →Probation Violations
If you are already on probation.
Read →All criminal defense
Every charge we defend.
See all →This page is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.