Dallas and Collin County Criminal Lawyers

Harrison Pask is a well respected criminal defense attorney who is recognized for his work ethic, communication skills, and integrity. As a former Assistant District Attorney in Collin County, Harrison also has the ability to view a case from many sides. He is a skilled negotiator,  knowledgable in many areas of criminal law. Fluent in English and Spanish, Harrison works with individuals and family members to help secure the best result possible.

What Kind of Charge Am I Facing?

Crimes can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors. Felonies carry harsher sentencing than misdemeanors. In Texas, a felony is a serious crime that may be punished by imprisonment for more than a year and a maximum fine of $10,000. A misdemeanor is usually punished with up to one year in prison and up to a $4,000 fine. There are also certain minor offenses known as infractions. A criminal record can haunt you far into the future, and it is important to hire a knowledgeable and experienced criminal attorney in Dallas if you are charged with a crime. Sometimes a single conviction may not seem serious in the short term, but it may affect your lawyer’s ability to negotiate a plea deal in the future or your sentencing for a later crime.

What Am I Charged With?

DWI

If you have been charged with DWI, it is important to realize that the charge carries practical as well as legal consequences. DWI convictions are expensive and can result in increased car insurance premiums, as well as a need to pay fines and surcharges. Since they are part of a criminal record, they also can affect your ability to get a job. Before devoting his life to criminal defense, Neil Pask learned all the ins and outs of the Dallas and Texas criminal justice system, serving as a Dallas County Misdemeanor Judge. Prior to that he was a Chief Felony Prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, where he served for over 17 years, handling thousands of criminal cases. He has trained many prosecutors to go after DWI offenders, so he is well aware of the strategies that they may use to try to convict you. Harrison Pask is a former Assistant District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor in Collin County, and has the expertise, experience, and drive of an up and coming lawyer to review all sides of a case and help you defend yourself against DWI charges for the best outcome possible. After being arrested for DWI, you only have 15 days to ask for a hearing on your driver’s license, or you will face a mandatory suspension of the license.

Drug Crimes

If you are charged with a drug crime, you will need an experienced Dallas criminal attorney on your side. The police are aggressive in their efforts to pursue people involved in drug activities. The penalties for a drug crime conviction can be harsh, and they hinge on the type of drug at issue and how much was seized. Often, there are procedural or constitutional defenses available. Under the Fourth Amendment, you are guaranteed the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. If your Fourth Amendment rights were violated in connection with the seizure of drugs, your attorney may be able to file a motion to suppress the drug evidence that was unlawfully seized, undermining the prosecution’s case.

Sex Crimes

Sex crime cases that we handle include sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, possession of child pornography, aggravated sexual assault, sexual performance of a child, public lewdness, prostitution, compelling prostitution, and indecent exposure. While working as a prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, Neil Pask was assigned to the Child Abuse Division, and he handled allegations of child abuse on a daily basis. As a criminal lawyer in the Dallas area, therefore, he has a very deep understanding of the strategies that prosecutors employ in connection with sex crimes against a child. Harrison Pask is a well respected criminal defense attorney who is recognized for his work ethic, communication skills, and integrity.  Harrison was chosen to oversee the all the Justice of the Peace Courts in Collin County. He was also put in charge of training new officers in how to effectively testify in front of a jury; and he developed strong relationships with officers in Law Enforcement Agencies all over Collin County. The penalties for sex crimes depend on the charges on which you are convicted. For example, if you are convicted of aggravated sexual assault, it is a first-degree felony, and it can be punished by at least five years’ incarceration and a maximum of life imprisonment.

Theft Crimes

Theft convictions can substantially affect your ability to find a job for the rest of your life. Generally, to secure a conviction, a prosecutor needs to establish that you appropriated property with the intent to deprive the owner of the property, without consent or excuse. There are numerous theft crimes with which someone could be charged, including robbery, burglary, shoplifting, felony theft, fraud, theft of services, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The specific crime charged will determine what needs to be proven and what the penalties are upon a conviction. Theft can be charged as a minor misdemeanor, but it can also be charged as a first-degree felony, depending on the fair market value of the stolen property at the time and place that it was stolen.

Violent Crimes

Violent crimes are taken very seriously by the District Attorney’s office. Often, they involve situations in which a victim has suffered a serious bodily injury or even death. There is substantial pressure on judges and juries to hold people accused of violent crimes accountable. Violent crimes include murder, attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, and capital murder. However, there are various defenses that a Dallas criminal lawyer may be able to raise in response to a charge of a violent crime, such as self-defense or defense of others.

Weapons Crimes

Weapons crimes include unlawful carrying of weapons, a class A misdemeanor, as well as other crimes like carrying an illegal weapon, carrying it in a place where it is illegal to carry it, or carrying a concealed handgun without a license to do so. If you have been convicted of a felony, you will not be allowed to possess a firearm until five years after your last conviction or five years after you are discharged from parole or probation. Under Texas Penal Code section 46.01, it is illegal for somebody to recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally carry an illegal knife, club, or handgun when that person is not on their own property or on a property under their control. Gun crime convictions can affect your Second Amendment right to carry arms.

Assault

As criminal attorneys serving the Dallas area, Pask Law has defended many people against assault charges. Assault occurs if somebody recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally causes a bodily injury to someone else. Types of assault crimes with which you can be charged under the Texas Penal Code include assault, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, abandoning a child, and deadly conduct. Ordinary assault is a class A misdemeanor that can be punished by a maximum of one year in county jail and a $4,000 fine. Generally, aggravated assault is a second-degree felony, so it is more serious than ordinary assault, and it occurs if ordinary assault causes a serious bodily injury or if the perpetrator used a deadly weapon while committing the offense.

Family Violence

Family violence occurs when a family or household member perpetrates an act intended to result in bodily injury, physical harm, assault, sexual assault, or a reasonable fear of imminent physical harm against another family or household member. People may not realize that when they call the police about family violence, somebody will go to jail. A police officer in Texas is authorized to arrest someone without a warrant when the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has perpetrated family violence. Sometimes a person is charged with family violence even though he or she was simply defending himself or herself. When self-defense is raised by a criminal lawyer in the Dallas area, the prosecution is required to disprove self-defense.

Probation Violations

Probation in Texas can take the form of deferred adjudication or regular probation. Deferred adjudication is a form of probation in which someone charged with a crime enters a no contest or guilty plea. Regular probation is imposed if a judge finds you guilty and sets a certain period of time for which you will stay on probation. Most people prefer probation to jail, and they may take probation to avoid incarceration or even to avoid a trial. It is important to realize that the court will impose terms and conditions of probation, and these must be followed. Terms and conditions can include going to classes, reporting to a probation officer, paying a fee, keeping your job, and staying in the county, among others. If you violate a term or condition of probation, your probation officer can notify the court, and the judge may issue an arrest warrant.

Expungement

Many people assume that if they have been acquitted or the charges have been dismissed, the record simply goes away. However, even if you have been acquitted, your arrest record remains unless you petition the court to get it erased or expunged. Often, a criminal record carries a significant stigma that can make it difficult for someone to get a job or rent a place to live. A criminal record can be accessed on the Internet and may affect every aspect of your life. In Texas, you will need to meet specific criteria to get your record expunged or sealed.

What Do I Do Now?

Whether you are charged with DWI, assault, or a sex crime, it is important to hire an experienced advocate for your rights who can handle every step of the criminal justice process on your behalf. At Pask Law, we represent people throughout Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant Counties. Call us at 214-360-9700 or use our online form to set up a consultation.