Kyle Watkins is a Central Texas Defense Attorney, providing aggressive representation for Central Texas Citizens facing State or Federal criminal charges. The organization of the Law Office of Kyle Watkins provides for professional attention to every detail of your case. Meaning Kyle will not delegate work on your case to junior associates, paralegals or other staff. At the Law Office of Kyle Watkins every case is treated with personal attention at every detail to ensure all measures are taken to get you the best possible result.
If you or a loved one has been charged with any crime, contact Kyle Watkins right away. The below list contains many of the more common offenses regularly handled by the Law Office of Kyle Watkins:
In addition to criminal defense, attorney Kyle Watkins also provides legal representation for individuals hoping to seek an expunction or non-disclosure (sealing) of their criminal record.
DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED [DWI]
In Texas, a person commits DWI when he or she “operates a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated”. The Definition may seem simple, but it is anything but simple. Many Citizens do not realize that DWI is simply an opinion crime. Meaning, it is the Officer’s opinion that makes the difference between a driver who has done nothing wrong, and a driver that is labeled a criminal. Being an opinion crime makes it unique in Texas, and in many circumstances difficult to prove. To learn more click here.
VEHICULAR CRIMES: INTOXICATION MANSLAUGHTER / INTOXICATION ASSAULT
At this time, Vehicular Crimes are the most high profile crimes in the State of Texas. Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, among other activist groups, have raised the issue to the forefront of the media, the Police, the Prosecutors, and the Legislature. The extreme statewide sensitivity to these cases often results in a charge – no matter how strongly the facts indicate it is not appropriate. Further, the offenses themselves are so complex with regard to the law (causation) and science (crash reconstruction and intoxication) that many lawyers (including Prosecutors) do not fully understand when a case is viable and when it should have never been filed in the first place. Click here to learn more.
Kyle Watkins has extensive training and experience in this field. He has personally handled well over 100 cases where a death or serious bodily injury has occurred, as well as having actively managed the scenes of dozens and dozens of DWI fatality crash investigations beginning at the scene, within minutes of the crash, and continuing through the Grand Jury investigation stage and all the way to final disposition in Court.
VEHICULAR CRIMES: DWI WITH A CHILD PASSENGER / HIT AND RUN
The fastest and most frequent way ordinary people find themselves suddenly charged with a felony is either the charge of DWI WITH A CHILD PASSENGER or “HIT AND RUN” (the legislative title is FAILURE TO STOP AND RENDER AID). DWI with a Child Passenger is a 4th Degree Felony, carrying a punishment range of 6 months – 2 years. Failure to Stop and Render Aid is a 2nd Degree Felony, carrying a punishment range of 2 – 20 years. Both of these charges can have devastating effects on a person’s life and family; all on the basis of a few tiny details that move the circumstances from being either (1) no crime, or (2) a Misdemeanor at most. To learn more, click here.
ILLEGAL DRUGS
Drug arrests fall in one of two categories: possession, or possession with intent to distribute. Both carry heavy punishment ranges, however distribution (actual or intent) is considered an aggravating factor and will increase the punishment ranges. Additionally, other factors can increase the punishment range a person is facing (examples: location of the person arrested, distance from a school, was a firearm involved, etc., etc.) Fortunately, the law requires several specific facts that must be proven for a Prosecutor to obtain a conviction (example: a person must be in “actual care, custody or control” of the drugs). There are many arguments (example: affirmative links) and legal impediments (example: Florida v. Jardines) that have been developed through the last 50+ years of drug prosecution in the United States. All of this law means that the Police and Prosecutors must follow it, and do every little thing correctly to keep the drugs from being suppressed or case from being dismissed or reduced as a matter of law. Ask yourself: did the police do everything right in my case?
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Prescription drugs in Texas are treated very much the same as illegal drugs. Depending on the type of drug, and the quantity, a person can find themselves charged with a Misdemeanor or Felony. Often in these cases the Citizen accused has an addiction, an illness; nonetheless the Prosecutor can and may push for punishment to the fullest extent. Further, a person can be charged with “intent to distribute” these prescription drugs; however, depending on the degree to which the Citizen accused has fallen victim to the addiction, the quantity may be simply there to adequately feed their habit and keep them from going into withdrawal. These cases are often decided on the basis of law, equity or both. Click here to find out more.
HOMICIDE: MURDER / MANSLAUGHTER
Homicide in Texas: “A person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence causes the death of an individual”. A Prosecutor must believe he or she can prove one or more of the above mental states in order to Prosecute a Citizen for Homicide. Murder in Texas: “A person commits Murder if he: (1) intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual; (2) intends to cause serious bodily injury and commits an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual; or (3) commits or attempts to commit a felony, other than manslaughter, and in the course of and in furtherance of the commission or attempt, or in immediate flight from the commission or attempt, he commits or attempts to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual”. Punishment Range: 5 – Life. Statute of Limitations: none. Murder is a very complex charge and the law makes many complex defenses available to a person accused of Murder (for example: a finding of ‘sudden passion’ from ‘adequate cause’ will cap the possible punishment range at 20 years). Manslaughter in Texas: “A person commits Manslaughter when he recklessly causes the death of another”. The punishment range for Manslaughter is 2 – 20 years. As seen above, Manslaughter requires the Prosecutor to be able to prove the culpable mental state of “Recklessness”. Like Murder, Manslaughter cases often come down to tiny details that make the difference between the facts showing the crime to have occurred as charged, lessor offense to have occurred,,or no crime having occurring at all. To learn more about this, click here.
If you or a loved one has been accused of causing a homicide, you need the best possible homicide defense attorney on your side to ensure everything possible is done to reduce the charges, minimize your exposure and make every conceivable effort to keep you out of jail.