Criminal Defense Lawyer in Conroe and The Woodlands
If you or someone you love was just arrested in Montgomery County, the next few days matter more than most people realize. Bond conditions get set, evidence gets gathered, and prosecutors start forming a view of the case long before anyone walks into a courtroom. A criminal defense lawyer who steps in early makes sure that view includes your side.
At Griffin & Cain, Attorneys at Law, we defend misdemeanor and felony charges in Conroe, The Woodlands, and across Montgomery County. Senior Attorney Stella A. Stevens spent nine years as a prosecutor with the Montgomery County Attorney's Office and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. She knows how cases here are screened, built, and negotiated. Every case starts with a complimentary consultation.
What Happens After an Arrest in Montgomery County
People arrested in Montgomery County are usually booked into the county jail on Criminal Justice Drive in Conroe. Within 48 hours, they see a magistrate, who explains the charge, gives the warnings about the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer, and sets bond. Bond can be paid in cash, posted through a bondsman, or granted as a personal bond. The jail processes bonds around the clock, but release can still take several hours.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in the District Attorney's intake division review every felony and every Class A and Class B misdemeanor that police submit, starting with the arrest report written at the jail. Felony cases then go to a grand jury, and at least nine grand jurors must agree before an indictment is returned. Discovery, negotiations, pretrial motions, and, if needed, a trial follow.
If You Are Calling for a Family Member
You can locate someone in custody through the county's online jail roster. Keep jail phone calls short and never discuss the facts of the case, because those calls are recorded. Write down the charge, the bond amount, and any court date, and bring that information to your consultation.
Misdemeanor or Felony: What the Charge Level Means
Texas sorts most crimes into seven levels. These are the maximum ranges the law allows, not the sentence you will receive:
- Class C misdemeanor: a fine of up to $500 and no jail time
- Class B misdemeanor: up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine
- Class A misdemeanor: up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine
- State jail felony: 180 days to two years in a state jail
- Third-degree felony: two to 10 years in prison
- Second-degree felony: two to 20 years in prison
- First-degree felony: five to 99 years or life
Felonies can also carry fines of up to $10,000, and prior convictions can push a case into a higher range.
Why a Former Montgomery County Prosecutor Matters on Your Side
Stella Stevens spent nine years on the other side of these cases, handling misdemeanors and felonies for the county's prosecutors. That experience shows up in practical ways. She knows what intake prosecutors weigh when they decide whether to accept a case, which gaps in a police report are worth pressing, and what a persuasive request for pretrial diversion looks like. She also knows how a defense argument sounds from the prosecutor's side of the table, which makes negotiations more productive.
Partner Brian Russell Cain has been licensed in Texas since 2009 and practices both criminal defense and family law. When a criminal charge spills into a divorce or custody case, one firm can see both problems at once.
Timing matters here. Before a case is formally filed or indicted, there is often a window to present information that changes how prosecutors see it: a witness they have not heard from, a video they do not have, or context the arrest report left out. If you were arrested, or a detective has asked you to come in and talk, speak with us before you give any statement.
Criminal Charges We Defend
Every charge carries its own rules, deadlines, and defenses. These pages explain the charges we handle most often:
- DWI and intoxication offenses, including the 15-day deadline to protect your driver's license
- Assault and aggravated assault, including self-defense cases
- Domestic violence charges and the emergency protective orders that come with them
- Drug charges, from THC vape pens to possession with intent to deliver
- Theft, shoplifting, robbery, and burglary
- White collar and fraud investigations, including embezzlement and fiduciary cases
- Expunctions and orders of nondisclosure to clear or seal an old record
If your charge is not listed, ask us anyway. Most criminal cases travel the same path through the courts, and your first consultation is complimentary.
How Criminal Cases End
A case can end in several ways, and each one leaves a different mark on your record:
- Dismissal or no-bill: no conviction, and the arrest can often be expunged.
- Pretrial diversion: you complete a program and the case is dismissed, although local prosecutors approve it only rarely.
- Deferred adjudication: no conviction if you finish the probation term, but the record stays public unless it is sealed.
- Specialty court: for eligible people, a drug, veterans, or mental health court program can end in a dismissal.
- Probation or a jail sentence: a final conviction.
- Trial: an acquittal can be expunged.
The right target depends on the evidence, your history, and what you need to protect most, whether that is your record, your career, or your family.
What a Conviction Can Cost Beyond the Sentence
The punishment range is only part of the picture. A conviction can follow you in ways the judge never mentions.
Your job and license. Employers and licensing boards run background checks, and some convictions close off entire careers.
Your gun rights. A pending Class A, Class B, or felony charge blocks a license to carry. A felony conviction brings state and federal firearm bans that can last for life.
Your immigration status. Federal immigration law treats deferred adjudication after a guilty plea as a conviction.
Your family. Some charges affect child custody and visitation decisions.
Your housing and education. Landlords screen applicants, and schools and scholarship programs ask about criminal history.
Charged With a Crime?
Talk with a defense team that includes a former Montgomery County prosecutor. Your first consultation is complimentary. Send us a message using the form below.
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We will provide a complimentary consultation so that you can discuss your issue with us. Get started by calling us or contacting us via email, and we will respond as soon as possible.
A Few Words From Satisfied Clients
Our last review post was a year ago; Brian has continued to provide excellent work and advice on legal matters.
Mistakes That Make Criminal Cases Harder to Win
- Talking to police to clear things up. Stay polite and ask for a lawyer. Explanations given in the moment rarely help, and they are often quoted back later.
- Believing the other person can drop the charges. The District Attorney's Office decides whether a case moves forward. Its own website says neither police nor citizens "press charges."
- Discussing the case on jail calls, texts, or social media. All of it can become evidence.
- Breaking a bond condition. A missed check-in or an unapproved contact can put you back in jail.
- Waiting for the first court date to hire a lawyer. Video gets overwritten, witnesses move, and a late request for diversion counts against you.
Criminal Cases in Montgomery County Courts
Where your case is heard depends on the charge. Class A and Class B misdemeanors go to the County Courts at Law on West Davis Street, a short walk from our office. Class C cases are handled in justice of the peace courts or, for offenses inside city limits, municipal courts. Felonies are heard in the district courts in Conroe, and the county added a new district court in September 2026 to help carry the criminal caseload.
Montgomery County also runs specialty courts that can change the outcome for the right person, including a drug court for people struggling with addiction, a Veterans Treatment Court, and a mental health court. Eligibility is limited and depends on the charge and your history.
Bail has changed, too. In November 2025, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment that requires judges to deny bail for certain violent and sexual felonies when prosecutors prove at a hearing that no bond conditions would keep the community safe or make sure the person returns to court. A 2025 law also lets prosecutors appeal some bail decisions. For serious charges, the bond hearing is now a real contest, and you want a lawyer there.
We also represent clients in Harris, Walker, and Grimes Counties. If you have a court date coming up anywhere in the area, send us a message through the form on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Charges
How long can someone be held before seeing a judge?
Texas law requires that a person who is arrested be brought before a magistrate within 48 hours. The magistrate explains the charge and your rights and sets bond. Even after bond is posted, release from the Montgomery County jail can take several hours.
Can the alleged victim drop the charges?
No. Once a case is filed, the District Attorney's Office decides whether it goes forward. The other person's wishes can matter to prosecutors, but they do not end the case on their own.
Is deferred adjudication a conviction?
If you complete it, deferred adjudication is not a conviction under most Texas law, and the case is dismissed. It still counts as a conviction for federal immigration purposes, and it cannot be expunged except for Class C offenses. Many deferred cases can be sealed instead.
Should I talk to the police if I did nothing wrong?
Stay calm, do not resist, and say you want a lawyer before you answer questions. Innocent people often hurt their cases by guessing at details or trying to explain things they do not fully know yet.
Can a criminal charge be removed from my record?
Dismissed cases, no-bills, and acquittals can often be expunged, which destroys the records. Deferred adjudication may qualify for an order of nondisclosure, which seals them from the public. Learn more about clearing a criminal record in Texas.
What happens at a complimentary consultation?
We review the charge, your bond conditions, the next court date, and what we know about the evidence. You leave with a clear picture of your options and what we would do first. Everything you tell us is confidential.
Talk to a Conroe Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
A criminal charge is not a conviction, and the choices you make in the first days can shape everything that follows. We bring a former Montgomery County prosecutor's perspective to your defense, along with straight answers when you need them most. You will know what the State has to prove, where its case is weak, and what each option would mean for your future before you decide anything.
Griffin & Cain, Attorneys at Law, represents clients from our office on West Davis Street in Conroe, serving The Woodlands, all of Montgomery County, and Harris, Walker, and Grimes Counties. Contact our Conroe office to schedule your complimentary consultation.
Why Clients Choose Griffin & Cain
Honest Advice
About your options
Personalized Attention
From experienced attorneys
Aggressive Representation
When necessary
Local Knowledge
Of courts and judges in your county
Cost-Conscious Strategies
To protect your resources
We're Available to Speak With You
Fields marked with an * are required
Contact Our Office
Today
We will provide a complimentary consultation so that you can discuss your issue with us. Get started by calling us or contacting us via email, and we will respond as soon as possible.
Phone:
936-539-1011
Address:
400 W. Davis St., Suite 200. Conroe, TX. 77301