Felony Attorney in Killeen

Felony Defense for Killeen Residents & Fort Cavazos Service Members

A felony charge doesn’t just threaten your freedom. It threatens your career, your housing, your right to vote and possess a firearm, and for active-duty personnel near Fort Cavazos, it can affect a military career and security clearance. At Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard, we defend felony charges in Killeen and throughout Bell County with more than 20 years of criminal defense experience and a deliberately limited caseload that keeps every client in direct contact with their attorney from arrest through resolution.

Every decision made after an arrest shapes what options remain. That’s why early representation matters as much as what happens at trial. Felony cases in Bell County go before a grand jury, and if an indictment is returned, the case is assigned to one of the District Courts at the Bell County Justice Center in Belton. We’re ready to engage at any point in that process, including before formal charges are filed.

Texas Felony Classifications & Common Charges in Bell County

Texas divides felonies into five levels, each carrying its own sentencing range under the Texas Penal Code.

The five felony classifications are:

• State Jail Felony: 180 days to 2 years in a state jail facility, plus a fine up to $10,000. Time is served day-for-day with no parole eligibility under Section 12.35.
• Third-Degree Felony: 2 to 10 years in state prison, plus a fine up to $10,000.
• Second-Degree Felony: 2 to 20 years in state prison, plus a fine up to $10,000.
• First-Degree Felony: 5 to 99 years or life in state prison, plus a fine up to $10,000.
• Capital Felony: Life in prison or, in cases where the State seeks it, the death penalty.

Prior felony convictions can make an already serious situation significantly worse. Under Texas Penal Code Section 12.42, the State can enhance punishment for third-, second-, and first-degree felonies when a defendant has a prior qualifying conviction on record, generally pushing the charge up one classification level. In some cases, a state jail felony may be negotiated down to a Class A misdemeanor under Section 12.44, a strategy we assess based on the specific facts of each case.

Common felony charge categories we handle in Bell County include drug possession and distribution, assault and aggravated assault, theft and robbery, weapons offenses, and sex crimes.

How We Approach Felony Defense in Killeen

Preparation plays a major role in case outcomes, not in-court performance alone. We start every felony case with a detailed review of the evidence: police reports, witness statements, body-camera footage, search warrant applications, forensic testing, and the procedures used during the arrest. Law enforcement must follow strict constitutional requirements. When those requirements aren’t met, Fourth Amendment violations can become the basis for suppression motions that may remove key evidence from the case before trial begins.

We represent clients at every stage: pre-arrest investigations, bail hearings, arraignment, pretrial motions, plea negotiations, and trial. The Bell County District Attorney’s Office bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Our job is to challenge that burden at every step and hold the State to it.

Every defense strategy is built around what matters most to that specific client. For some, that’s avoiding incarceration. For others, it’s protecting a professional license, preserving a military career, or minimizing the impact on their family. We provide honest guidance throughout, including when that means delivering difficult information, so clients can make fully informed decisions. That reflects what we’ve done for thousands of clients across more than two decades of criminal defense work.