Bryan Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you or someone you love has just been arrested in Bryan, Texas, it’s normal to feel scared, confused, and unsure what happens next. An arrest can feel like everything is suddenly at risk — your freedom, your job, your reputation, and your family. You do not have to figure out what comes next on your own. This page explains, in plain language, how a Texas criminal case actually works, what to expect if your case is handled in Brazos County, and how a criminal defense attorney can help protect your rights from the very first step.

Understanding Criminal Charges in Bryan, TX

Texas divides criminal offenses into felonies and misdemeanors, and the classification of a charge determines how serious the potential punishment is. Under the Texas Penal Code, the classifications and punishment ranges are:

• Capital felony (Penal Code § 12.31): life in prison without parole, or the death penalty if the state seeks it.
• First-degree felony (Penal Code § 12.32): 5 to 99 years, or life, in prison, plus a fine of up to $10,000.
• Second-degree felony (Penal Code § 12.33): 2 to 20 years in prison, plus a fine of up to $10,000.
• Third-degree felony (Penal Code § 12.34): 2 to 10 years in prison, plus a fine of up to $10,000.
• State jail felony (Penal Code § 12.35): 180 days to 2 years in a state jail facility, plus a fine of up to $10,000.
• Class A misdemeanor (Penal Code § 12.21): up to 1 year in county jail, plus a fine of up to $4,000.
• Class B misdemeanor (Penal Code § 12.22): up to 180 days in county jail, plus a fine of up to $2,000.
• Class C misdemeanor (Penal Code § 12.23): a fine only, up to $500, with no jail time.

These ranges are the outer limits set by law — the actual outcome in any case depends on the specific facts, the person’s criminal history, and the strength of the evidence on both sides.

How a Criminal Case Moves Through Brazos County

Arrest and your first hearing. Texas law requires that a person who is arrested be brought before a magistrate “without unnecessary delay, but not later than 48 hours after the arrest” (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 15.17). At this hearing, the magistrate must tell you what you’re accused of, explain your right to hire a lawyer or request a court-appointed one if you cannot afford one, tell you that you have the right to remain silent and that anything you say can be used against you, and address bail.

Where you’d be held. Brazos County’s jail is the Brazos County Detention Center, 1835 Sandy Point Road, Bryan, TX 77807, (979) 361-4800. The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office accepts cash bonds (paid in full, refundable minus a processing fee once the case resolves), surety bonds through a licensed bail bondsman, and, at the judge’s discretion, personal recognizance (PR) bonds that don’t require payment.

Recent change — bail can now be denied outright in some cases. In November 2025, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment (Proposition 3, following Senate Joint Resolution 5) that allows a judge to deny bail entirely for certain serious charges — including murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, aggravated sexual assault, indecency with a child, and human trafficking — if the state shows by clear and convincing evidence that no bail conditions would keep the community safe, or by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is a flight risk. Anyone facing a bail decision under this rule has the right to a lawyer at the hearing and can contest the denial.

Which court hears the case. Brazos County has four District Courts (the 85th, 272nd, 361st, and 472nd), which have original jurisdiction over all felony cases. Under local rule, the District Courts also hear any misdemeanor charge that’s connected to a felony charge against the same person. Misdemeanor cases on their own are generally handled by the County Courts at Law.

Common Defenses in a Texas Criminal Case

• Self-defense or defense of a third person (Penal Code §§ 9.31–9.33): force can be legally justified if you reasonably believed it was immediately necessary to protect yourself or someone else from unlawful force.
• Challenging how evidence was obtained (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 38.23): Texas law states that no evidence obtained in violation of the U.S. or Texas Constitution, or of Texas or federal law, can be admitted against you at trial — and if there’s a factual dispute about how evidence was gathered, the jury must be instructed to disregard it if they believe (or have reasonable doubt) that it was obtained unlawfully. This is the basis for a motion to suppress evidence from an illegal stop, search, or improperly obtained statement.
• Disputing the state’s proof: the state must prove every element of a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, so a defense can focus on gaps or weaknesses in the evidence itself, including witness credibility, chain of custody, or lack of intent.

Which defenses actually apply depends entirely on the specific facts of your case — this section is meant to help you understand the general legal landscape, not to predict the outcome of any particular charge.

Deadlines That Matter: Texas Statutes of Limitation

Texas law limits how long the state has to formally charge someone with a crime. Under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 12.01 and art. 12.02, the general deadlines are:

• No limit: murder, manslaughter, certain sexual assault offenses, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and human trafficking offenses.
• 10 years: sexual assault (standard cases), arson, and forgery.
• 7 years: fraud offenses, money laundering.
• 5 years: theft, robbery, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, and domestic assault.
• 3 years: most other felonies not listed above; assault involving a domestic relationship (misdemeanor).
• 2 years: most misdemeanors.

These deadlines govern when the state can bring charges — they don’t affect how quickly you should act if you’ve already been arrested or charged. If you’re facing a deadline of your own, such as a court date or a bond condition, treat that date as firm.

How Craig Greening Law Can Help

Craig A. Greening founded The Greening Law Group in 2010 and has practiced law for more than 20 years. Before starting his own practice, he worked at the district attorney’s and county attorney’s office, where he personally prosecuted DWI cases, felonies, and other complex criminal charges — experience that gives him direct insight into how the state builds a case and where it can be challenged.

Craig is a Board Certified Specialist in Criminal Trial Law, has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2018 (an honor given to fewer than 5% of lawyers in the U.S.), and is an American Chemical Society-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist — a designation for lawyers trained to evaluate and challenge forensic science used in criminal cases. He is also the author of the Fifth Circuit Criminal Handbook, a legal reference used by litigators, judges, and defense attorneys across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

[NEEDS VERIFICATION – FACT NOT PROVIDED: office address and direct phone number for the Bryan location, and confirmation of which attorney(s) at the firm will be handling Bryan-area cases, before this section goes live.]

Contact Craig Greening Law

If you’re facing a criminal charge in Bryan, Texas, reach out to Craig Greening Law to talk through your case and your options.