Relentless Defense.
Proven Results.
When you are charged with a crime in South Texas, the state has already started building its case. Stephen A. Giovannini has spent nearly three decades standing between his clients and the prosecution in courtrooms across the Coastal Bend. When you are hurt in an accident, that same courtroom experience goes to work against the insurance company.
Arrested or under investigation? Do not give a statement before you talk to a lawyer.
Call now: 361.510.5981Criminal defense across the full Texas Penal Code
From a Class C ticket that could cost you a job to a first degree felony that could cost you your freedom, every case gets the same thing: a lawyer who prepares to win.
DWI and DUI
Breath and blood test challenges, ALR license hearings, first offense through felony DWI, and intoxication assault.
Drug charges
Possession, possession with intent, manufacture and delivery, and cases built on questionable searches and stops.
Assault and family violence
Simple assault, aggravated assault, protective order violations, and the collateral consequences of a family violence finding.
Theft, fraud and property crimes
Theft, burglary, robbery, forgery, credit card abuse and criminal mischief at every value threshold.
Weapons offenses
Unlawful carrying, felon in possession, and deadly conduct, including the changing rules under Texas permitless carry.
Sex offenses
Discreet, aggressive defense of accusations where reputation, registration and liberty are all on the line.
Probation and parole violations
Motions to revoke and motions to adjudicate, where the stakes are often the full original sentence.
Juvenile cases
Representation of minors in juvenile court, with a focus on keeping a mistake from defining a life.
Expunctions and nondisclosure
Clearing or sealing eligible records so a past arrest stops following you into background checks.
How Texas classifies and punishes offenses
Texas divides crimes into misdemeanors, handled in county courts, and felonies, handled in district courts. The category determines the punishment range under Chapter 12 of the Texas Penal Code.
| Classification | Confinement | Maximum fine | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class C misdemeanor | No jail | $500 | Traffic tickets, public intoxication, minor theft, disorderly conduct |
| Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days in county jail | $2,000 | First DWI, possession of marijuana under two ounces, criminal trespass |
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 1 year in county jail | $4,000 | Assault causing bodily injury, second DWI, theft of $750 to $2,500, unlawful carrying of a weapon |
| State jail felony | 180 days to 2 years in a state jail | $10,000 | Possession of a controlled substance under one gram, theft of $2,500 to $30,000, credit card abuse |
| Third degree felony | 2 to 10 years in prison | $10,000 | Third DWI, assault on a family member with a prior conviction, felon in possession of a firearm |
| Second degree felony | 2 to 20 years in prison | $10,000 | Aggravated assault, robbery, burglary of a habitation, manslaughter |
| First degree felony | 5 to 99 years or life in prison | $10,000 | Murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated sexual assault, large drug delivery |
| Capital felony | Life without parole or death | None | Capital murder |
Prior convictions, use of a deadly weapon, and the age of an alleged victim can move a charge up a level. Many first time offenders are eligible for deferred adjudication or pretrial diversion that can keep a conviction off their record entirely. This chart is general information, not legal advice about your case.
Your rights when stopped or arrested in Texas
- You have the right to remain silent. Give your name and identification when required, then say clearly that you want a lawyer. Anything else can and will be used against you.
- You can refuse a search. Officers may search with a warrant, with consent, or under certain exceptions. You never have to give consent, and saying no is not evidence of guilt.
- You must see a magistrate within 48 hours. At that hearing you are informed of the charge, your rights, and your bond amount.
- You have the right to counsel. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed. If you can, the earlier your lawyer is involved, the more options you keep.
- Refusing a breath or blood test has consequences. Under Texas implied consent law, a refusal can suspend your license, and officers can often get a warrant for blood anyway. Talk to a lawyer about the ALR hearing within 15 days of arrest.
What to do in the first 24 hours
- Stay calm and polite. Do not argue, run, or resist. Every word and movement is being recorded.
- Ask for a lawyer and stop talking. This applies to jail phone calls too, which are recorded.
- Call Stephen at 361.510.5981. The office can help with bond, get to the jail, and start protecting evidence right away.
- Write down everything you remember. Names, times, what was said, what was searched, and who was present.
- Do not post about it. Social media posts, texts, and messages are routinely used by prosecutors.
- Keep every piece of paper. Bond paperwork, the magistrate warning, the citation, and any court dates.
How a Texas criminal case moves
Most clients have never been through this before. Knowing the road ahead takes some of the fear out of it.
Arrest and magistration
You are booked, brought before a magistrate, read your rights, and given a bond amount. Bond can be posted in cash or through a bondsman.
Charging decision
The prosecutor reviews the case. Misdemeanors are filed by information. Felonies go to a grand jury, which can indict, no bill, or reduce the charge.
Discovery and investigation
Under the Michael Morton Act the state must turn over its evidence. We review body camera footage, lab work, and witness statements, and run our own investigation.
Motions and negotiation
Motions to suppress illegally obtained evidence, motions to dismiss, and negotiations that can lead to a reduction, diversion, or dismissal.
Trial
If the state will not do what is right, we try the case. Jury selection, cross examination, and a defense prepared from day one to be argued to twelve citizens.
After the case
Probation terms, appeals, and clearing your record through expunction or an order of nondisclosure once you are eligible.
Personal injury: when someone else caused the harm
Insurance companies settle claims every day. You will do this once. Stephen brings the same preparation he uses against prosecutors to the adjusters and defense lawyers who are trying to pay you as little as possible. There is no fee unless we recover money for you.
Car and truck accidents
Collisions on SPID, Crosstown, Highway 77 and the county roads, including 18 wheeler and commercial vehicle crashes where trucking regulations matter.
Motorcycle and pedestrian injuries
Cases where the insurance company blames the rider or the walker first and looks at the facts second.
Drunk driver crashes
Injuries caused by an intoxicated driver, including dram shop claims against bars that overserved, handled by a lawyer who knows DWI evidence from the inside.
Workplace and oilfield injuries
Refinery, port, construction and oilfield injuries, including claims against third parties and nonsubscriber employers.
Premises liability
Slip and fall, unsafe property, inadequate security, and injuries at stores, apartments and businesses.
Wrongful death
Claims for families who lost a loved one to someone else's negligence, handled with care and resolve.
What to do after an accident in Texas
- Get to safety and call 911. Texas law requires a crash to be reported if anyone is hurt or damage appears to be $1,000 or more. A police report becomes the foundation of your claim.
- Get medical care the same day. Adrenaline hides injuries. A gap between the crash and your first visit is the first thing an adjuster will use against you.
- Take photos of everything. Vehicles, the scene, skid marks, license plates, your injuries, and the other driver's insurance card and license.
- Get names and numbers of witnesses. Independent witnesses disappear quickly and are often the difference in a disputed fault case.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other insurance company. You are not required to, and the questions are designed to reduce your claim. Let your lawyer handle every call.
- Do not sign anything or accept a quick check. An early offer is almost always made before the full extent of your injuries is known, and it closes your claim forever.
- Stay off social media. Photos of you at the beach or a party will end up in the insurance company's file.
- Call Stephen at 361.510.5981. Evidence such as dash camera footage, store video and truck data is often erased within weeks unless a lawyer sends a preservation letter.
Texas injury law you should know
- Two year deadline. Most Texas personal injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the injury. Claims against a city, county or the state require written notice much sooner, sometimes within 45 days.
- Fault is shared, and 51 percent ends a case. Texas uses modified comparative fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if a jury finds you more than 50 percent responsible you recover nothing. This is why the fault fight starts on day one.
- Your own policy may pay first. Personal Injury Protection and Medical Payments coverage on your own auto policy pay medical bills regardless of fault. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage protects you when the other driver has too little insurance, which is common in Texas.
- What you can recover. Medical expenses past and future, lost wages and earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and in some cases punitive damages for gross negligence.
- Contingency fee. You pay nothing up front. The fee is a percentage of the recovery, and if there is no recovery there is no fee.
This is general information about Texas law, not advice about your claim. Deadlines and rules depend on the facts of your case.
Stephen A. Giovannini
Stephen has been licensed to practice law in Texas since November 1997. He has spent his career in the criminal courts of Nueces County and the surrounding Coastal Bend, defending people accused of everything from a first DWI to capital charges.
He believes every client deserves to be treated with dignity, told the truth about their case, and defended as if his own family were on the line. His practice is grounded in faith, in the Constitution, and in the conviction that the government must prove every element of every charge.
While criminal defense remains the heart of the practice, Stephen also represents people hurt in accidents and parents in CPS and Family Based Safety Services matters, where the same investigative and courtroom skills protect families. Texas roots. Real people. Lasting results.
Personal injury matters accepted in Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas.
The prosecutor has the badge, the lab, and the budget. My client has me. That has always been enough of a fight. Stephen A. Giovannini, Attorney and Counselor at Law
Talk to Stephen today
Consultations are free and confidential, for criminal charges and injury claims alike. Calls are answered promptly, including evenings and weekends when a client is in custody or in the hospital.
Stephen A. Giovannini, Attorney and Counselor at Law
5151 Flynn Parkway, Suite 300
Corpus Christi, Texas 78411
Phone: 361.510.5981
Email: saglaw@gmail.com
Se habla español.