Burnet County Criminal Defense Lawyer

Highway 281 and SH 71 stops in Marble Falls and Burnet: what’s actually happening

Burnet County sits at the northeastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, and most of the criminal cases the firm handles here begin the same way: a traffic stop on US-281, on State Highway 71, on SH 29, or on RR 1431 — the four roads that move nearly every visitor and resident through the county. People drive into Burnet County for Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Buchanan, and the northern end of Lake Travis, often for weekends that involve boating, restaurants, wineries, and bluebonnet routes in the spring. They leave on the same roads after sundown.

The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, the Marble Falls Police Department, the Burnet Police Department, the Granite Shoals Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety all patrol these corridors. DPS troopers work US-281 north and south of Marble Falls heavily on weekends. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department patrols the lakes themselves — boating-while-intoxicated cases are filed in the same district courts as driving-while-intoxicated cases.

Stops here frequently turn on whether the initial reason for the stop holds up: a lane drift on a winding stretch of 281, a tag light burned out on RR 1431, a stop on SH 71 outside Marble Falls. The Probable Cause Affidavit (the sworn statement the officer writes to justify the arrest, often abbreviated PCA) is the first document the firm reads on any Burnet County case — frequently before the first consultation.

Where Burnet County cases are heard

Felony cases in Burnet County are filed in two district courts that share a four-county circuit covering Burnet, Blanco, Llano, and San Saba counties:

• 33rd Judicial District Court — Honorable J. Allan Garrett presiding
• 424th Judicial District Court — Honorable Evan Stubbs presiding

Both courts are housed at the Burnet County Courthouse Annex, 1701 E. Polk Street, Suite 74, Burnet, Texas 78611.

The District Attorney for the 33rd and 424th Judicial Districts is Perry Thomas, who took office in January 2025 after the retirement of longtime DA Wiley “Sonny” McAfee. The DA’s office prosecutes felony cases originating in all four counties.

Misdemeanor cases are filed in Burnet County Court at Law, located at the main courthouse at 220 South Pierce Street, Burnet, Texas 78611. The presiding judge is Honorable Cody Henson. The Burnet County Attorney — Eddie Arredondo — handles misdemeanor prosecution.

Class C misdemeanors and traffic citations are heard in Justice of the Peace courts (four precincts countywide) and in municipal courts in Burnet, Marble Falls, Granite Shoals, and Horseshoe Bay.

Charges the firm defends in Burnet County

The firm represents people charged with the full range of state criminal offenses, with the cases the firm sees most often in Burnet County including:

• Driving while intoxicated — first, second, third, and felony DWI; DWI with a child passenger; intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter
• Boating while intoxicated — Lake LBJ, Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, Lake Marble Falls, and the Burnet County portion of Lake Travis
• Possession of a controlled substance — Penalty Groups 1, 1-A, 2, 2-A, 3, and 4
• Marijuana possession and THC concentrate charges (the concentrate distinction matters — concentrates are charged as PG 2 felonies, not as marijuana)
• Assault and family violence — Class A assault, assault family violence, assault impeding breath or circulation, continuous violence against the family, and aggravated assault
• Theft — including theft from retailers along the US-281 corridor in Marble Falls
• Burglary of habitation, building, and vehicle
• Sex offenses — sexual assault, indecency with a child, online solicitation, and offenses requiring sex-offender registration
• Weapons offenses — unlawful carrying, unlawful possession by a felon
• Probation revocations and motions to adjudicate in cases that began in Burnet County
• Expunctions and orders of nondisclosure to clear records of prior Burnet County cases

For federal offenses originating in Burnet County, cases are filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division.

Burnet County law enforcement agencies the firm encounters

• Burnet County Sheriff’s Office — 1601 E. Polk Street, Burnet (the office that books most defendants and operates the county jail)
• Marble Falls Police Department — the largest municipal department in the county
• Burnet Police Department — patrols within the city of Burnet
• Granite Shoals Police Department
• Horseshoe Bay Police Department (Burnet County portion)
• Cottonwood Shores Police Department
• Meadowlakes Police Department
• Texas Department of Public Safety — works US-281, SH 71, SH 29, and RR 1431 heavily
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens — boating-while-intoxicated and water-safety stops on the Highland Lakes
• Lower Colorado River Authority Rangers — park-and-lake patrol on LCRA-managed properties

If you are an out-of-county client

A significant share of the firm’s Burnet County cases involve people who do not live in Burnet County. The recreational draw of the Highland Lakes pulls weekend traffic from Austin, San Antonio, and the I-35 corridor cities — drivers who are stopped on US-281 returning to Austin, on SH 71 heading toward Bee Cave, or on the lakes themselves. Out-of-county clients have specific practical concerns: bond options, including surety bail bond terms, that may restrict travel, court appearances that require travel back to Burnet, and an Administrative License Revocation hearing (ALR) deadline that is the same fifteen days regardless of where the client lives.

The firm appears in person in Burnet County for setting dates, plea hearings, motion hearings, and trial. For administrative work — paperwork, document delivery, evidence review — the firm uses telephone, email, secure document portals, and video conferencing so that out-of-county clients do not have to make a trip to Burnet for routine matters.

ALR — 15 days

If a driver was arrested for DWI in Burnet County and either refused a breath or blood test or provided a sample at or above the legal limit, the Texas Department of Public Safety will move to suspend the driver’s license administratively. The deadline to request an ALR hearing — and the only way to preserve the right to challenge the suspension and to keep the license active pending the hearing — is fifteen days from the date of arrest.

The ALR hearing is a separate proceeding from the criminal DWI case. The firm files the ALR request within the fifteen-day window on every DWI matter it accepts. ALR hearings often produce useful sworn testimony from the arresting officer that can be used in the criminal case.

Expunction and nondisclosure in Burnet County

If a Burnet County case ended in dismissal, acquittal, or a no-bill from the grand jury, the client is generally eligible to expunge (erase) the arrest record. If a case ended in deferred adjudication for an eligible offense, an order of nondisclosure may seal the record from public view.

The firm handles expunctions and orders of nondisclosure for cases that originated in Burnet County, regardless of where the client now lives. Petitions are filed in the original court of jurisdiction and prosecuted before a Burnet County district or county court judge.

How the firm works your Burnet County case

Every case the firm accepts in Burnet County follows the same sequence:

1. PCA review. The firm requests the Probable Cause Affidavit and reads it before the first consultation. The PCA is the prosecution’s first sworn description of what happened — and frequently the first place a case begins to come apart.
2. Discovery and evidence review. The firm requests body-camera and dash-camera video, calibration records for breath-test instruments, lab reports for blood draws, and witness statements. In Burnet County, DPS in-car video is often the most consequential single piece of evidence.
3. Motions practice. Motions to suppress unlawful stops, unlawful searches, and statements taken in violation of Miranda are filed where the record supports them.
4. Negotiation. The firm communicates with the District Attorney’s office or County Attorney’s office throughout the case. Many cases resolve without trial, but the firm prepares every case as if it will go to trial.
5. Trial, plea, or dismissal. The firm tries cases when trial is the right outcome for the client. The firm does not pressure clients to plead.
6. Post-resolution. If the case resolves favorably, the firm pursues expunction or nondisclosure where the client is eligible.

Fees

The firm quotes flat fees for criminal defense work in Burnet County. The quote is given after the first consultation, when the firm has reviewed the PCA and understands what the case actually involves. Payment plans are available. The firm does not take cases on a contingency basis — that arrangement is not permitted for criminal defense work in Texas.

The firm offers free initial consultations on Burnet County matters. Call (512) 369-3737.

The attorneys handling your Burnet County case

David D. White — Principal attorney. Texas Bar #24047094. Licensed in 2004. Twenty-two years of criminal defense practice exclusively in state and federal courts.

Kenneth Hines — Associate attorney. Practicing in Hays and Caldwell County courts since 2008. Extensive experience with drug cases, DWI cases, and family violence cases across the Central Texas region.

Taylor Kacir — Associate attorney. Texas Bar #24125051. Former Senior Misdemeanor County Attorney at the Bell County Attorney’s Office.

Any of the firm’s three attorneys may appear in Burnet County court depending on case type, court calendar, and timing. Clients are introduced to whichever attorney is handling the matter from intake forward.

Reviews and reputation

The firm has been the subject of more than two hundred client reviews across Google, Avvo, and other platforms over the past two decades. Patterns clients describe most often: responsiveness to phone calls and messages, willingness to explain what is happening at each stage of the case, and direct communication about the realistic range of outcomes rather than promises.

Frequently asked questions about Burnet County criminal cases

Where is the Burnet County Courthouse?
The main Burnet County Courthouse is at 220 South Pierce Street in Burnet, Texas. Felony cases are heard in the Annex at 1701 East Polk Street, where the 33rd and 424th District Courts sit.

Who prosecutes felony cases in Burnet County?
The District Attorney for the 33rd and 424th Judicial Districts. Perry Thomas has held the office since January 2025. The district covers Burnet, Blanco, Llano, and San Saba counties.

Who prosecutes misdemeanor cases in Burnet County?
The Burnet County Attorney, Eddie Arredondo, prosecutes misdemeanors in Burnet County Court at Law.

Does the firm appear in Burnet County regularly?
Yes. Burnet County is one of the ten Central Texas counties the firm covers. The firm makes the drive from its Austin and Georgetown offices for every required court appearance.

How quickly can I speak with an attorney after I am arrested in Burnet County?
Same day in most cases. The firm answers its phone during business hours, and an attorney returns after-hours messages. Call (512) 369-3737.

Can the firm handle a boating-while-intoxicated case from one of the Highland Lakes?
Yes. Boating while intoxicated is a Class B misdemeanor on a first offense (with enhancements for prior convictions or for accidents involving injury). BWI cases use the same Texas Penal Code chapter as DWI and are tried in the same Burnet County courts.

Will the same attorney handle my case from intake through resolution?
In most cases, yes. The firm assigns one attorney as the primary point of contact on each case. When court calendars require, another attorney from the firm may appear at a setting — the client is told in advance.

If you have been arrested in Burnet County

Call the firm at (512) 369-3737. The first consultation is free. The firm requests the Probable Cause Affidavit before the consultation when the timing of the arrest allows it, so that the first conversation is about the case, not about gathering basic facts.