Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC | Fort Worth Murder Lawyer | Criminal Defense

As Fort Worth criminal defense lawyers, we fight to protect clients accused of committing assaultive charges in Tarrant County, Texas, including the most serious murder or capital murder charges. If you or a loved one is facing a serious murder or capital murder charge, then you need an experienced Fort Worth criminal defense lawyer. You will deal directly with our team of former prosecutors who will not only treat you with respect, but also make sure we craft the best strategy and defense to fight your case.

At Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC, we have some of the top criminal defense attorneys in Fort Worth and the surrounding Tarrant County area. We take the time to listen to your needs and help you develop a professional strategy for your defense. Our goal is a dismissal, no bill, not guilty, or a reduction of your charge with a eye to the future.  Our team has already secured two NOT GUILTY verdicts in felony jury trials this year, along with a mid-trial dismissal and a reduction to a misdemeanor. 

What we offer in your Tarrant County Criminal Defense:

1. EXTENSIVE TRIAL EXPERIENCE

Our firm has extensive trial experience in criminal and DWI defense. Our criminal defense attorneys have tried over 350 combined criminal trials, including assault and aggravated offenses, DWI and DWI-related offenses, drug-related offenses, murder and capital murder charges, and sex crime offenses.

In addition, we have reviewed and successfully negotiated thousands of criminal charges in Tarrant County, Texas. This experience gives us the knowledge to advise our clients if they are getting the best outcome possible on their charge.

2. FORMER PROSECUTORS IN TARRANT, DALLAS, AND HARRIS COUNTY

Our team at Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC are all former Tarrant County prosecutors.  Being trained as a prosecutor gives us invaluable experience because we know exactly how the State of Texas will attempt to prosecute you on your criminal charges. This knowledge will allow our firm to build the best defense in fighting your criminal charge. Partner Hilary Wright is a former Chief Prosecutor in Tarrant County, Texas.

3. SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE IN CRIMINAL LAW | BOARD CERTIFIED LAWYERS | HIGHER LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE FOR CAPITAL MURDER CASES

In addition to be trained as former prosecutors, our criminal defense attorneys know the inside and out of each and every aspect of a police investigation and State prosecution, including criminal laws, proper police procedures, DNA and blood forensic evidence, and knowing exactly how the State plans to introduce evidence into trial.

Partners Colin McLaughlin and Hilary Wright are both Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and all of our attorneys continuously attend criminal and DWI CLE seminars to make sure we are up to date on any change in the law.

For more serious murder and capital murder cases, Partners Colin McLaughlin, Dustin Trammel, Hilary Wright, and Bryan Hoeller are also certified by the District Courts to try capital murder charges, which requires a higher level of skill, courtroom and trial experience, and CLE (continuing learning education).

4. HIGHLY RATED & AWARD WINNING FORT WORTH CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS

Our team has received over 300 5 star reviews on Google from our former clients.  In addition, our team has been recognized for their outstanding performance in criminal law.  Managing Partner Bryan Hoeller has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters for 2023, 2024, and 2025.  Lindsay Truly and Dustin Trammel were also both named Super Lawyers Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters for 2022, 2023, and 2024.  In addition to being Board Certified, Partner Colin McLaughlin was named a Top Criminal Lawyer in Fort Worth by Fort Worth Magazine for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Partner Hilary Wright is President-Elect for the Texas Association of Specialty Courts.

Fighting your Murder or Capital Murder Charge:

First Step: Getting Your Side of the Story | Self-Defense? | 5th Amendment

Your lawyer will need to know your side of the story, and we will ask many questions about what led up to the alleged incident and to determine if there is a valid self-defense claim. This will allow us to determine which aspects of the case to focus on and whether or not we need to talk to the police (note: our general policy is to never talk to the police without a lawyer present and to assert your 5th Amendment rights).

Step Two: Sorting Out the Details of What Really Happened

In addition to talking with our Client, it’s also extremely important to thoroughly review all the evidence in the case, including reviewing:

  • Videos, usually taken on a phone,
  • Surveillance footage from any nearby cameras,
  • Statements from witnesses (i.e. friends, family, neighbors) who may have heard or saw something,
  • Physical Evidence, including injuries (including any injuries you may have sustained, which may be important to a self-defense claim),
  • Forensic Evidence, including any gun-shot residue (GSR) testing, ballistics testing, fingerprints, and DNA evidence,
  • Medical Analysis, including an Autopsy Reports and/or a Toxicology Report from the Deceased.

Your lawyer in Fort Worth may also be able to use physical evidence of any injuries to show that you acted in self-defense. If you have cuts on  your body, for example, this could be a sign that you were injured during an altercation and had to fight back. If you have bruises or scratches on your arms or hands, it could show that you were trying to push someone away.

Step Three: Fighting the Murder Charge | Obtaining Experts and Investigators | Mitigation Evidence

The most serious cases require the best defense, and for capital murder charges, for example, where the State is seeking the death penalty, than the law requires a certain level of defense that is above the requirements for any other level of criminal offense. This includes:

  • Obtaining an investigator.
  • Obtaining a Mitigation expert, who can help gather evidence from your past that may help mitigation the outcome or provide support that you are not a continued threat to society.
  • Obtaining a psychologist or brain expert to help determine if there are any mental health evidence, or evidence that you may have suffered from something as a young child.
  • Experts, who can review and scrutinize the State’s reports (i.e. gun and ballistics testing, autopsy and toxicology reports).

These investigators and experts can not only help fight the underlying murder or capital murder charge, but they are also obtained to make sure we are doing our due diligence on the mitigation side of things as well.  In a capital murder charge punishment phase, for example, the Jury is tasked with determining whether the person is a future danger and whether there is any important mitigation evidence or special circumstances that would prevent the death penalty, so this part of an investigation is very important.

Fort Worth murder lawyer

Types of Murder Charges:

Here are the types of criminal cases that result in a death that our firm handles:

  1. Criminally Negligent Homicide
  2. Manslaughter
  3. Intoxication Manslaughter
  4. Murder, including Felony Murder
  5. Capital Murder (Seeking Death or a Waiver)

We also handle cases that are often times charged alongside one of these types of charges, including: tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and gun charges.

Self-Defense on a Murder Charge | Affirmative Defense

Were you justified in your actions? Texas law allows people to defend themselves, even up to using deadly force if they feel that their life, the life of others, or their property is in danger. This is one of the most important aspects to analyze in an assaultive offense because even if you committed the conduct, if the conduct was justified, the no charges should be brought or the case should be dismissed or no billed by a Grand Jury.  To legally use deadly force (i.e. the force that could result in a death or a murder charge), you must reasonably believe that you’re in grave danger, and you can’t use more force than is necessary. You can’t use deadly force if there’s no such threat.

First Attacker | Self-Defense Continued

As mentioned above, Texas law allows individuals to defend themselves. Even in situations where a full self-defense may fail because the person used more force than necessary, it’s still important to look at who was the first attacker.  If you were not the first attacker (i.e. the person who started the fight), than that is an important factor in determining whether the case should even be prosecuted.

Mitigation Evidence

As mentioned above, the most serious cases require the best defense, and it’s important to analyze not just what happened, but also review all the elements leading up to the charge:

  1. What is your background (work, family, educational background, prior good acts/deeds, any criminal history, any mental health diagnosis)?
  2. Any drugs or alcohol involved?
  3. Did the victim have a criminal history, mental health issues, or drug or alcohol issues?
  4. What is the history between the parties? Have you been a victim in the past?
  5. Do you have a good family support system?

These are just some of the questions/mitigation evidence we are looking at to help you fight your murder charge.

Seek a Strategically Tailored Criminal Defense from a Murder Lawyer in Fort Worth, Texas

If you or someone close to you has been accused of murder or capital murder, it’s crucial that you contact an experienced Fort Worth murder lawyer. In many cases, a good attorney can make the difference between spending life in prison or reduced or dismissed charges. The team at Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC is ready to make that difference.

Take the first step for your defense. Fill out our online form or call at 817-334-7900 to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer.