Coryell County Criminal Defense Lawyer

I-14 and US-190 stops in Copperas Cove and Gatesville: what’s actually happening

Coryell County is part of the Killeen-Temple metropolitan area and sits directly west of Fort Cavazos. Most of the firm’s Coryell County cases arise from one of three traffic patterns: drivers on Interstate 14 / US-190 moving between Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Gatesville; service members and their families moving on and off the western edge of Fort Cavazos through Copperas Cove; and visitors driving in for the state prison units in Gatesville. US-84 and US-281 carry the remaining traffic — US-84 running northwest toward Hamilton, US-281 cutting through the western sliver of the county along Fort Cavazos’s outer boundary.

The Coryell County Sheriff’s Office, the Copperas Cove Police Department, the Gatesville Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety patrol these corridors. DPS troopers work I-14/US-190 heavily, particularly the stretch between Copperas Cove and Killeen on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Stops here frequently turn on whether the initial reason for the stop holds up: a lane change without a signal, an alleged speed estimate without radar confirmation, an extended stop after the original purpose has concluded. 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 Coryell County case — frequently before the first consultation.

For service members based at Fort Cavazos, a state criminal case in Coryell County typically runs alongside whatever command and administrative action the military takes. State court resolution is one piece of a larger picture, and the firm coordinates with the service member’s chain-of-command counsel when needed. Cases that originate just across the county line in Killeen are heard in Bell County.

Where Coryell County cases are heard

Felony cases in Coryell County are filed in two district courts that sit across the courthouse square from each other in Gatesville:

• 52nd Judicial District Court — Honorable Trent Farrell presiding, on the second floor of the Coryell County Courthouse at 620 East Main Street, Gatesville, Texas 76528
• 440th Judicial District Court — sitting at the Coryell County Annex at 702 East Leon Street, Gatesville

The District Attorney for the 52nd Judicial District is Dusty Boyd, who has held the office since January 2013 and was re-elected for additional terms. The DA’s office prosecutes felony cases and is located at 203 South 7th Street, Gatesville, Texas 76528.

Misdemeanor and juvenile cases are filed in Coryell County Court at Law and prosecuted by the Coryell County Attorney, Brandon Belt, at 210 South 7th Street, Gatesville.

Class C misdemeanors and traffic citations are heard in Justice of the Peace courts across the county’s four precincts and in municipal courts in Copperas Cove, Gatesville, and the smaller cities.

Charges the firm defends in Coryell County

The firm represents people charged with the full range of state criminal offenses. The charges the firm sees most often in Coryell County include:

• Driving while intoxicated — first, second, third, and felony DWI; DWI with a child passenger; intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter
• Possession of a controlled substance — drug charges across 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 — including assault family violence cases that overlap with military command action for service members at Fort Cavazos
• Aggravated assault — assault charges including cases involving a deadly weapon
• Theft along the I-14/US-190 retail corridor in Copperas Cove
• 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 (a charge that requires particular attention when the client is a service member)
• Probation revocations and motions to adjudicate in cases that began in Coryell County
• Expunctions and orders of nondisclosure to clear records of prior Coryell County cases

For federal offenses originating in Coryell County, cases are filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division. Cases involving uniformed personnel at Fort Cavazos may also be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in courts-martial — a separate proceeding the firm does not represent in directly, though it coordinates with civilian counsel for the state-side case.

Coryell County law enforcement agencies the firm encounters

• Coryell County Sheriff’s Office — 510 Leon Street, Gatesville (operates the Coryell County Jail)
• Copperas Cove Police Department — the largest municipal department in the county
• Gatesville Police Department — patrols within the county seat
• Texas Department of Public Safety — works I-14/US-190 and US-84 heavily
• Fort Cavazos Directorate of Emergency Services / Military Police — initiates many cases involving service members; arrests for off-post conduct are often referred to the appropriate civilian agency
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Office of the Inspector General — investigates incidents within the state prison units in Gatesville

The state prison footprint in Gatesville is unusually large: six TDCJ units operate within the city, including most of the state’s female correctional units. The firm handles cases that arise both in the broader community and on prison grounds.

If you are an out-of-county client

A significant share of the firm’s Coryell County cases involve clients who do not live in Coryell County. Three patterns recur:

Service members and military families. Fort Cavazos sits on the eastern boundary of Coryell County, and Copperas Cove is the primary off-post residential community on the western side of the installation. State criminal cases in Coryell County frequently involve people whose duty station, residence, or household is tied to the military rather than to the county itself. The firm appears in Coryell County court for the criminal case and coordinates with the service member’s command counsel for the administrative side.

Families visiting incarcerated relatives. Gatesville hosts six TDCJ units, including most of the state’s female correctional facilities. People traveling to visit incarcerated family members sometimes find themselves in legal trouble of their own — traffic stops on the drive in, alleged contraband interactions, or incidents at or near the units. The firm handles these matters.

Through-traffic on I-14 and US-190. Drivers moving between Killeen and points west — particularly those headed toward Hamilton, Hico, and Stephenville — are sometimes stopped in the Coryell County stretch of I-14/US-190.

Out-of-county clients have specific practical concerns: bond conditions that may restrict travel, court appearances that require travel back to Gatesville, and an Administrative License Revocation hearing deadline that is the same fifteen days regardless of where the client lives.

The firm appears in person in Coryell 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 Gatesville for routine matters.

ALR — 15 days

If a driver was arrested for DWI in Coryell 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.

For service members, the ALR proceeding can have downstream consequences for installation driving privileges and on-post access. Those consequences are worth addressing early.

Expunction and nondisclosure in Coryell County

If a Coryell 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 Coryell County, regardless of where the client now lives. Petitions are filed in the original court of jurisdiction and prosecuted before a Coryell County district or county court judge. For service members and former service members, a clean Texas record can matter for security clearances, federal employment, and Veterans Affairs benefits.

How the firm works your Coryell County case

Every case the firm accepts in Coryell 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.
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. Coordination with command counsel happens at this stage if the case involves a service member.
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.
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 Coryell 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 Coryell County matters. Call (512) 369-3737.

The attorneys handling your Coryell 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 Coryell 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 Coryell County criminal cases

Where is the Coryell County Courthouse?
The Coryell County Courthouse is at 620 East Main Street in Gatesville, Texas. The 52nd District Court sits on the second floor; the 440th District Court sits across the square at the County Annex, 702 East Leon Street.

Who prosecutes felony cases in Coryell County?
The District Attorney for the 52nd Judicial District. Dusty Boyd has held the office since January 2013.

Who prosecutes misdemeanor cases in Coryell County?
The Coryell County Attorney, Brandon Belt, prosecutes misdemeanors and juvenile cases at 210 South 7th Street, Gatesville.

Does the firm handle cases involving service members at Fort Cavazos?
Yes. The firm represents service members in state criminal proceedings in Coryell County and coordinates with the service member’s command counsel for the administrative and UCMJ side of the case. The firm does not represent in courts-martial directly.

How quickly can I speak with an attorney after I am arrested in Coryell 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.

Does the firm have a physical office in Coryell County?
No. The firm’s offices are in Austin and Georgetown. The firm appears in person at the Coryell County Courthouse for every required setting.

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 Coryell 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.