Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer

Salinas Defense Law Firm is a criminal defense firm in Houston, and Andrew Salinas takes cases in English and Spanish. Hablamos español: llame al (832) 202-8409. Our office is at 4101 Greenbriar Drive, Suite 240, Houston, TX 77098, in Upper Kirby.

For a client who is not a U.S. citizen, a criminal charge is also an immigration problem. Andrew defends the charge with that in mind from the first call.

Where Houston cases are heard

Criminal cases filed in Houston are heard at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center, 1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002. The felony district courts and the misdemeanor county criminal courts at law both sit in that building, on different floors. People held on a Houston arrest are booked into the Harris County Jail at 1200 Baker Street.

For how a Harris County case works from the first court date on, see our page on Harris County criminal defense and the client guide.

If you are not a U.S. citizen

A criminal case can affect a green card, a visa or DACA. In Texas, deferred adjudication is often still a conviction under immigration law, so a deal that avoids a conviction on paper may not avoid one for immigration purposes. Tell us your exact status when you call. Do not accept any plea until the immigration consequences have been analyzed, and do not leave the country without talking to us first.

Andrew has taught this subject to other lawyers, in a CLE presentation called Representing Noncitizen Defendants in Texas Criminal Courts. Our page on the immigration consequences of a criminal charge explains more.

The charges we handle

• DWI
• Drug crimes
• Assault and family violence
• Federal crimes
• Theft and white collar crimes
• Clearing a record

If you were just arrested

Do not talk about the case with police, and do not talk about it on jail phone calls, which are recorded. Write down what happened while you still remember it clearly, including names, times and places. Then call us before anything else is decided.

Questions from Houston clients

Do you work in Spanish?

Yes. Andrew Salinas takes cases in English and Spanish, and speaks to clients directly, without an interpreter in between.

I am not a U.S. citizen. Does a Houston case affect my status?

It can. Deferred adjudication is often still a conviction under immigration law. Tell us your status before you discuss any plea.

Where do I go for my first court date?

Most Harris County settings are at 1201 Franklin Street, Houston. Confirm your court and floor before you go, and arrive an hour early, because parking and security take time.

Should I talk to the police before I hire a lawyer?

No. Say that you want a lawyer, stop talking, and call us. Nobody talks their way out of a filed charge, and many people talk their way into a worse one.

Neighborhoods we work with

Clients come to us from across Houston, including Upper Kirby, River Oaks, Montrose, the Heights, Midtown and Downtown, and from the neighboring cities of Bellaire and West University Place.