Marble Falls Criminal Defense Lawyer

The Highland Lakes region has a character all its own, and so does what it means to face criminal charges here. Marble Falls sits at the intersection of Burnet County and the Hill Country lifestyle, where a single arrest can ripple through a tight-knit community in ways that go far beyond the courthouse. A Marble Falls criminal defense lawyer who actually knows this area understands that your reputation, your employment, and your relationships are part of what is at stake, not just the charge on the complaint.

The Law Offices of David C. Hardaway has a track record of representing clients throughout the Highland Lakes area and across the surrounding Hill Country counties. Whether you were stopped on Highway 281 coming into Marble Falls, arrested after a call at a local establishment on Main Street, or served with charges tied to a dispute anywhere in Burnet County, the time to start building your defense is now. Waiting, hoping things resolve on their own, or relying on court-appointed counsel without exploring your options first, those choices can close doors that should stay open.

What follows is practical information about how criminal cases actually move through this part of Texas, what charges are most common in the Marble Falls area, and how our firm approaches representation for clients who live, work, or were simply passing through when something went wrong.

What Criminal Cases in Burnet County Actually Look Like

Marble Falls is the county seat of Burnet County, and the Burnet County District Court and County Court at Law handle everything from misdemeanor DWIs to serious felony matters. The courthouse sits on Main Street in Marble Falls, and judges there move cases on their own timeline, one that does not always feel patient from the defendant’s side. Understanding how the court schedules arraignments, pretrial hearings, and docket calls matters practically when you are the one waiting on a resolution.

The criminal docket in Burnet County reflects what life in the Highland Lakes looks like. Lake Lyndon B. Johnson and Lake Marble Falls draw visitors year-round, and the combination of recreational boating, lakeside restaurants, and a thriving tourism economy means that certain charge categories come up repeatedly: driving while intoxicated, boating while intoxicated, minor possession cases, and charges that arise from disputes in vacation rental properties or on the water itself. Burnet County also sees cases that reflect its rural character, including charges tied to hunting and firearms violations, theft of agricultural property, and domestic situations that escalate in isolated settings where law enforcement response times are longer.

A criminal defense attorney serving Marble Falls needs to work within this specific context, not just apply a one-size-fits-all litigation playbook. The prosecution’s approach in Burnet County, the evidentiary standards that local courts apply, and the practical realities of how evidence is collected in a lakeshore setting all shape what a defense actually looks like.

Common Charges Our Firm Handles for Clients in and Around Marble Falls

• Driving While Intoxicated (DWI): Highway 281 through Marble Falls is one of the most heavily patrolled corridors in Burnet County. DWI charges range from Class B misdemeanors for first-time offenses to felony-level charges when aggravating factors apply, including prior convictions, elevated blood alcohol readings, or the presence of a passenger under 15. Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 governs these offenses, and administrative license suspension proceedings run on a separate track from the criminal case.
• Boating While Intoxicated (BWI): Lake LBJ and the Highland Lakes chain generate a meaningful number of BWI arrests, particularly during summer weekends and fishing tournament season. Texas Parks and Wildlife wardens have authority to stop watercraft and conduct sobriety investigations, and the legal standard for intoxication mirrors the DWI statute. Challenging the stop, the field tests, and the collection of breath or blood evidence often drives the defense strategy.
• Drug Possession and Controlled Substance Charges: Possession charges in Burnet County cover everything from misdemeanor marijuana cases to felony offenses involving controlled substances under the Texas Health and Safety Code. Penalty group classifications determine the severity of the charge, and the quantity involved affects whether a case stays in county court or moves to district court. Early intervention often matters most in these cases.
• Assault and Family Violence: Charges under Texas Penal Code Section 22.01 and related family violence enhancement statutes carry consequences that extend well beyond criminal court, including protective orders that affect where you can live, and federal prohibitions on firearm possession that can matter significantly in a rural county where hunting and ranching are part of daily life.
• Theft and Property Crimes: Theft charges in Burnet County run from Class C misdemeanors for small-value thefts to state jail felonies and higher for property crimes involving greater value. Burglary of a habitation is a first-degree felony under Texas law. In a community where people know each other, these charges also carry social weight that matters to our clients.
• Firearms Violations: The Hill Country has a strong hunting culture, and charges related to unlawful carrying, prohibited possession, or firearms violations arising from a prior conviction come up in this region. Federal law also intersects with state law in ways that make these cases more layered than they might first appear.
• Juvenile Matters: Young people make mistakes, and Burnet County’s juvenile justice system handles those cases through its own proceedings. How a juvenile case is resolved can have lasting effects on a young person’s record and opportunities, and early legal involvement often makes a real difference in outcomes.

Why Clients in the Highland Lakes Area Choose The Law Offices of David C. Hardaway

Clients consistently describe this firm using words like responsive, straight-talking, and thorough. Reviewers have noted that David Hardaway and his team return calls, keep clients informed through every stage of a case, and treat the people they represent as individuals whose lives actually matter, not as entries on a docket. One former client described having a case dismissed rather than settling for a conviction because the team investigated, listened, and believed in the outcome. Another noted the firm’s attention to detail as something they had never experienced anywhere else.

The firm maintains offices in Marble Falls’ broader service region, including a location specifically serving the Highland Lakes and surrounding Hill Country counties. Clients in Marble Falls, Burnet, Llano, and across the Hill Country have a local point of contact rather than a distant metropolitan firm that has to learn the area from scratch. That geographic familiarity, combined with deep knowledge of Texas criminal procedure and the specific courts and prosecutors operating in this region, translates into a tactical advantage that actually affects how cases are handled. The firm’s practice spans from misdemeanor cases in county courts to serious felonies in district court, and every matter receives the same level of investigation and preparation regardless of charge severity.

The firm represents clients across an unusually wide range of Central Texas counties, which matters in a place like Marble Falls because charges sometimes involve adjacent jurisdictions. A Highland Lakes boating incident might touch Llano County water. A traffic stop on US-281 could straddle county lines. Having a criminal defense law firm with relationships and familiarity across the region, not just in one courthouse, is a practical asset.

What to Do After an Arrest in Marble Falls or Burnet County

The period immediately following an arrest is the one where decisions matter most and where people most often make costly mistakes. Here is how to navigate it.

Exercise your right to remain silent. This is not a cliche. Anything you say to law enforcement before speaking with an attorney can and will be used to build the prosecution’s case. Burnet County Jail processes arrests, and you will likely be brought before a magistrate for a bail hearing. The magistrate sets conditions of release based on the charge, your criminal history, ties to the community, and other factors. An attorney who knows the local courts and how Burnet County magistrates approach bail decisions can sometimes make a difference in whether you go home quickly or wait longer than necessary.

In DWI cases specifically, you need to know that Texas imposes a 15-day deadline from the date of arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing if you refused or failed a chemical test. Missing this deadline means automatic suspension proceeds without a hearing. An attorney needs to file that request on your behalf immediately, and there is no grace period.

Gather what you can remember. Memories fade, and the details of where you were, who was with you, what was said by officers, and the sequence of events matter enormously when it comes time to challenge the state’s evidence. Write it down, save any photographs, identify any witnesses, and hold onto any receipts, videos, or communications that might be relevant to your version of events.

For criminal matters in Marble Falls, cases move through the Burnet County courts at 220 South Pierce Street in Burnet. Misdemeanor cases go to the Burnet County Court at Law, while felonies are handled in the Burnet County District Court. Knowing which court has your case and what the typical case timeline looks like in that court matters for planning and for understanding what to expect.

Questions People Ask Our Firm About Marble Falls Criminal Cases

What happens at my first court appearance in Burnet County?

Your first formal court appearance after arrest is typically an arraignment, where you are formally informed of the charges and enter an initial plea. Bail conditions set at magistration are reviewed. In many cases, defendants represented by counsel waive formal arraignment and proceed directly to pretrial hearings. Your attorney will advise on the most strategic approach based on your specific charges and circumstances.

Can charges from a Marble Falls arrest be dismissed or reduced?

Yes, charges can be dismissed or reduced in Burnet County, and it happens regularly when defense counsel identifies weaknesses in the state’s evidence, challenges the legality of a stop or search, presents mitigating information to the prosecutor, or negotiates a plea to a lesser offense. No attorney can guarantee outcomes, but an early and thorough evaluation of the evidence is the starting point for pursuing any reduction or dismissal.

How does a family violence finding affect my future in a rural county like Burnet?

A family violence finding in Texas carries consequences that extend far beyond any jail time. It can prohibit you from possessing firearms under federal law, which in a county where hunting and ranching are common, affects daily life in a concrete way. It can affect custody determinations, housing applications, and employment in fields requiring background checks. It also becomes part of a permanent record that prosecutors and courts will see in any future encounters with the legal system.

Is it possible to challenge a boating while intoxicated arrest if I refused field sobriety tests on the water?

Field sobriety testing on a boat presents legitimate scientific challenges that do not apply the same way on dry land. Boat movement, sun exposure, wind, and fatigue from time on the water can all affect a person’s performance on divided-attention tests in ways that have nothing to do with intoxication. These are documented issues in the scientific literature that trained defense attorneys use to challenge the reliability of field sobriety observations in BWI cases. How the stop was initiated by the game warden or officer, and whether there was legal justification for boarding and detaining you, is also a line of inquiry that often proves significant.

Will a DWI arrest on Highway 281 in Burnet County affect my commercial driver’s license?

Yes, and often more severely than people realize. Commercial drivers operate under stricter standards under federal regulations, and a DWI arrest, even in a personal vehicle, can trigger CDL disqualification proceedings that are separate from and in addition to the criminal case. The stakes for commercial drivers are substantially higher, and it is important to retain a defense attorney as early as possible to coordinate the criminal defense with any CDL administrative proceedings.

What is deferred adjudication and does it clear my record in Texas?

Deferred adjudication is a form of probation available in Texas where you plead guilty or no contest, and the judge defers a finding of guilt while you complete probation conditions. If you complete the term successfully, no conviction is entered. However, deferred adjudication does not automatically seal your record. You may be eligible to petition for an order of nondisclosure, which restricts public access to the record, but eligibility depends on the offense charged, the waiting period, and other factors. A criminal defense attorney can evaluate whether nondisclosure is available and when it makes sense to seek it.

How long will my criminal case in Burnet County take to resolve?

Timeline depends heavily on whether the case resolves through a negotiated plea or goes to trial, the complexity of the charges, and the current caseload in the Burnet County courts. Misdemeanor cases often resolve within a few months. Felonies can take considerably longer, particularly if the defense requires investigation, expert witnesses, or contested pretrial motions. Your attorney should give you realistic expectations based on your specific case, not a generic estimate.

Can my Marble Falls criminal case be transferred to a different county if I live somewhere else?

Venue in Texas is generally proper in the county where the offense occurred, which means a Burnet County charge stays in Burnet County courts regardless of where you live. Transfers of venue are permitted in limited circumstances, typically when pretrial publicity makes a fair trial in that county impossible. For most Marble Falls cases, the matter will proceed in Burnet County, which is one reason it matters to have defense counsel who is familiar with those courts and their personnel.

What if the alleged victim in my assault case does not want to press charges?

In Texas, once law enforcement files a report and the prosecutor’s office receives the case, the decision to pursue charges belongs to the state, not the alleged victim. A complaining witness can state their preference not to prosecute, but the district attorney or county attorney can and often does proceed regardless. Defense counsel can communicate the alleged victim’s wishes to the prosecution and work to present the full context of the situation, but waiting for the other party to “drop charges” without legal representation is a risky approach that leaves your fate entirely in the prosecutor’s hands.

Are there diversion programs available for first-time offenders in Burnet County?

Burnet County has programs available for certain first-time offenders that can offer alternatives to traditional prosecution, depending on the charge and the individual’s background. Eligibility criteria and program availability change, and not every case or every defendant qualifies. Speaking with a criminal defense attorney who knows what the local prosecutor’s office currently offers is the most reliable way to find out whether any diversion option applies to your situation.

Representing Clients Across Marble Falls, Burnet County, and the Surrounding Hill Country

The Law Offices of David C. Hardaway represents clients throughout Marble Falls and the surrounding communities of the Highland Lakes region, including Horseshoe Bay, Granite Shoals, Kingsland, Cottonwood Shores, Highland Haven, Meadowlakes, and Sunrise Beach Village. Across the rest of Burnet County, we represent clients in the county seat of Burnet, as well as Bertram, Lampasas, and communities along the Colorado River arm of Lake LBJ. To the west, our representation extends through Llano County, including the city of Llano and the Mason and Fredericksburg corridors. South and east along the I-35 corridor, we regularly appear for clients in the San Marcos, Kyle, and Buda areas of Hays County, and we handle cases in New Braunfels and Seguin through Comal and Guadalupe Counties. Our Highland Lakes office specifically serves the Marble Falls community, which means clients in this area have accessible, local counsel rather than having to travel to a metropolitan firm with no connection to the Hill Country courts.

Whether a client’s charges arose from an incident on Lake LBJ, a traffic stop on Ranch Road 1431, a dispute in the Marble Falls city limits, or a situation in the more rural stretches of Burnet County, our team knows this geography and these courts.

Talk to a Marble Falls Criminal Defense Attorney Before Your Next Court Date

A charge filed in Burnet County does not define what your future looks like, but how you respond to it matters. Working with a Marble Falls criminal defense attorney who understands the local courts, knows the prosecutors, and takes your case seriously from the first phone call gives you a foundation for the strongest possible defense. The Law Offices of David C. Hardaway has represented clients across this region in cases ranging from first-time misdemeanor charges to serious felony matters, and the firm brings the same level of preparation and attention to every case it takes on. Call today to schedule a confidential consultation about your situation.