Harris County is one of the quickest developing communities in Texas. Located in the southeastern region, Harris County is the most populous county in Texas with approximately 4,000,000 residents. The county is so large that according to the U.S. Census it took up 16 percent of all of Texas’s population. Harris County’s large population has given way to a thriving economy, especially in the energy industry. Oil is a consistent money maker in Harris County after the company Noble Energy, Inc. set up its headquarters there. The city of Houston in particular is growing at an alarmingly fast economic rate. Forbes Magazine had deemed Houston #1 for paycheck worth in 2012. The success of Harris County unfortunately also means increased criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies in Harris County are always on the lookout for people committing crimes. A violation of one of Texas’s laws and regulations could mean an arrest and even criminal charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with an offense in Harris County, it’s imperative you seek an experienced criminal defense attorney.
DWI & Defense Attorneys in Harris County, Texas
Are you handling criminal charges currently in the Harris County area? If so, it’s important you have a plan for what’s next. One option is to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer to represent you. A skilled attorney can file motions, suppress evidence and chart out a defense for you. Contact the attorneys at [firm] to discuss your case. Our team of attorneys have the knowledge you need with years of practice in Harris County courtrooms. You can call us at [phone] to set up a free consultation surrounding your charges. [firm] practices law throughout the Harris County area including Houston, Tomball, West University Place, and Pasadena. Overview of Harris County in Texas
Crimes Commonly Found in Harris County, Texas
The massive population and growing economy in Harris County have also led to an increase in crime. The Texas Department of Public Safety released a crime report stating that violent crime increased by nearly 6 percent from 2015 to 2016. Additionally, the value of property stolen in 2016 totaled up to $1,945,544,611. These statistics and others have caused law enforcement to be on high alert for offenders. Common offenses committed by people in Harris County include:
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Crime Statistics for Harris County, Texas
Harris County and other Texas Counties follow the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). The program allows county Sheriff’s departments to send their arrest information over to the FBI, who then compiles it into a spreadsheet. The UCR program allows us to see the rising trend of crime in Harris County. The following is some arrest data collected by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department in 2016.
- 197,691 offenses were recorded by Harris County police officers;
- 20,491 people committed grand auto theft;
- 112, 162 people were charged with larceny or theft;
- 30, 224 people were arrested with burglary;
- 18, 729 people faced criminal charges for assault;
- 2, 020 people were charged with sexual assault by police; and
- 409 people faced murder charges by Harris County law enforcement
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Harris County Court Resources
Criminal Courts in Harris County – There are 16 criminal courts located in Harris County, which preside over both class A and B misdemeanors. The court is run by a Presiding Judge who is elected every six months. You can find their locations by clicking the link above. District Courts in Harris County – The District Courts in Texas handle felony-level criminal cases. It also includes civil matters of at least $200. There are 60 District Courts in Harris County with each being considered a separate court. Locate your nearest district court on the link above. District Clerk of Harris County – The current District Clerk of Harris County is Chris Daniels. He oversees the documents associated with cases and heads a staff of approximately 550 people. Additionally, Mr. Daniels also runs jury service for the District Courts. The Clerk of Harris County can be found at 201 Caroline Street #420 in the city of Houston. First Court of Appeals – You can choose to appeal a case if you believe there was an error made during your trial. Appealed cases in Harris County are handled at the First Court of Appeals. The court is made up of a clerk, eight justices and a chief justice. All judges are elected for six-year terms, while clerks are appointed for four years. Find the First Court of Appeals at 201 Fannis Street #208 in Houston. Texas Supreme Court- The highest court in Texas is the Supreme Court. It’s the last stop for cases that have been appealed multiple times. The Texas Supreme Court is composed of eight justices and a chief justice. You can locate the Supreme Court at 201 West 14th Street #104 in the city of Austin.
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Law Enforcement Resources in Harris County
Harris County Sheriff – The Harris County Sheriff’s Department oversees 4,600 personnel and 200 reservists. Currently, Ed Gonzalez is the current Sheriff for Harris County. You can find his office at 1200 Baker Street in Houston. Additionally, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is made up of eight Constable Precincts, which include:
Houston Police Department – The Houston Police Department (HPD) handles arrests and criminal investigations. The current Chief of Police for HPD is Art Acevado, who was elected in 2016. HPD can be found at 1200 Travis Street in Houston, Texas. Texas Highway Patrol – The Highway Patrol handles rail, aviation and public transportation systems in Texas. They also regulate traffic laws for drivers on the highways in Texas. You can locate the nearest Highway Patrol near you by using the link above. Texas Department of Justice – The Texas Department of Criminal Justice manages the prisons, detention facilities and state jails in the state of Texas. It also regulates programs that are designed to assist law enforcement such as the Board of Criminal justice and rehabilitation programs for offenders with a drug dependency.
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Prominent Cities in Harris County, Texas
Harris County is one of the largest counties in Texas with 34 cities and 36 unincorporated communities. The following are some prominent cities found in Harris County, Texas.
- Houston - Houston is ranked as the fourth largest city in the United States with a population of 1,630,553, and covers 540 square miles of the southern part of Texas. The city is a melting pot with a very diverse population of over 100 ethnic groups. Houston has several major freeways that run through and around the city. Beltway 8 or the Sam Houston Tollway actually loops around the city making a circle. Highway 290 and I-10 are also frequently used, running parallel to each other east and west. Interstate 45 is the highway that runs north and south, it will take you from Galveston to the northern parts of Texas.
- Hockley - Highlands is a part of unindustrialized Harris County, Texas. The population in this area is about 7,200 people, and the land area covers about 6.6 square miles. It's north of highway 73 and west of Farm Rd 2100 right along the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Highlands is located on the banks of the San Jacinto River and the Houston Ship Channel. It's also located close by to the historic Lynchburg Ferry and within Harris County Precinct 3.
- Huffman - Huffman is an unincorporated area in the northeastern part of Harris County located in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The town is only about 30 miles northeast of Houston and is centered right on Farm Roads 2100 and 1960. Huffman is about 54 square miles and is home to about 10,000 people.
- Hufsmith - Hufsmith is a very small community with a population of only about 225 people. The town is in the extreme northern part of Harris County just north of Tomball on Farm Rd 2978 and the International-Great Northern railroad. Major roadway – Hufsmith Kuykendahl Rd also runs through Hufsmith. This road turns into Kuykendahl RD and runs through Spring and parts of Cypress and ends at Interstate 45. It is a common road used to cut through by commuters. The students of Hufsmith attend the Tomball Independent School District.
- Humble - Humble is a city located in Harris County and is also considered to be a part of the Houston- Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. Humble covers about 9.9 square miles and has a population of about 15,000 people. It is in close proximity to Houston, Kingwood, Spring, and only miles away from Downtown Houston. Some of the main roads and highways are I-59 and FM 1960.
- Hunters Creek - Hunters Creek Village is a small city in Harris County that covers about 109 square miles and has a population of about 4,500 people. As of the year 2000, Hunters Creek Village is considered to be the 5th wealthiest location in Texas by per capita income. The students that live in this city attend either Spring Branch Independent Schools or Houston Independent Schools, determined by which side of Buffalo Bayou they live on. Hunters Creek Village also borders the Houston Country Club, a premier Houston golfing destination for the wealthier population.
- Kingwood - Kingwood Texas is a master-planned community located in Northwest Houston Metro Area. The Kingwood community comprises of over 14,000 acres and has over 65K residents in the community and aver 200K people living within a 10 mile radius. While most of the is located in Harris County, a portion of the community resides just over the Montgomery County border. Kingwood is located just off of highway 69 and borders Lake Houston.
- Klein - Klein, Texas is bordered between Houston and Tomball in the Northern part of Harris County. It is an unincorporated area in the Houston jurisdiction, and is home to about 46,000 people. The Klein Community is primarily part of its own Independent School District. Located just off to the West of highway 249, major roads such as Spring Cypress Rd, Stubner Airline Rd, Champion Forest Drive & Kuykendahl Rd all run through Klein. Upscale housing communities such as Gleannloch Farms, Inverness Estates, Windrose West & Villages of Bridgestone make this a highly desirable area for Houston commuters to live due to the urban proximity, yet rural, suburban feeling this community provides.
- La Porte - La Porte is within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area in southeastern Harris County. It is the Fourth largest incorporated city in Harris County with a population of about 31,880 people.La Porte is most famous for being the location of the battle of San Jacinto. La Porte is located on Galveston Bay just across the Fred Hartman Bridge from Baytown and is located just North of Seabrook and Clearlake.
- Morgan’s Point - Morgan’s Point is a small city in Harris County with a land area of about 1.6 square miles and a population of about 336 people. The city is only a few miles from the city of La Porte, and residents of Morgan’s Point attend the La Porte Independent School District. Another Galveston Bay side city, it contains a popular fishing spot, Ballester Fishing Area.
- Nassau Bay - Nassau Bay is a city in Harris County that is on the southeastern border of Houston. The city covers 1.7 square miles of land and is home to about 4,200 people. Nassau Bay is right next to Houston’s Space Center also known as NASA Johnson Space Center, south on I-45 coming from Houston. The city is located on the west side of Clear Lake and in close proximity to Galveston Bay.
- Pasadena - Pasadena is the second largest city in Harris county and the 15th largest in the state, is is within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. Pasadena covers 44.2 square miles and has a population of about 153,000 people. Pasadena has 3 major freeway systems running through I-45, Highway 225, and the Sam Houston Tollway. It's also home to the Pasadena Convention Center which is a 2,850 seat multi-purpose area. The convention center hosts many local sporting events and concerts throughout the year. Pasadena also is home to the historic Pasadena Civic Center built in 1931 and seats just over 3,000. The civic center plays hosts to ballets, Broadway Musicals, Symphony Orchestras & Celebrity Speaking events.
- Seabrook - Seabrook is a city in Harris County located in the Houston metropolitan area. It I made up of 5.7 square miles of land and 15.8 square miles of water. The population was last estimated in 2006 at 11,182 people. Seabrook borders Galveston Bay, and is known to local residents for their fish markets. Local fishermen bring in their catch daily to the fish markets on Waterfront Drive. The markets can be found on Galveston Bay just to the East of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and is home to many hotels hosting NASA visitors.
- Sharpstown - Sharpstown was one of the first communities to be master-planned to be centered around automobiles. Frank Sharp developed the area, making room for schools, shopping centers and recreation. While this is common today, when it was established in 1955, it was quite unique. Many major arteries go through the area including Bellaire Blvd., Beechnut, Fondren and Gessner, not to mention the Southwest Freeway (US-59).
- South Houston - South Houston os located in southeastern Harris County just southeast of the intersection of I-45 and Highway 3. It is adjacent to Pasadena, and near Hobby Airport, the San Jacinto Battleground, and the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
- Southside Place - Southside Place is a small residential and commercial area located in Harris County with a population of about 1,530 residents. Southside Place is close to Bellaire and only miles from the big city of Houston. They may be small but the offer lots of events and recreation due to the fact that as of the year 2000, Southside Place was the 13th wealthiest location in Texas per capita income.
- Spring Valley Village - Spring Valley Village is a city with a land area of 1.3 square miles and a population of about 3,611 people located in Harris County. The city was formerly known as just Spring Valley until 2007, it was changed and is now known as Spring Valley Village. The closest major highway near Spring Valley Village is I-10.
- Spring - Spring is part of two counties in south Texas, Harris and Montgomery Counties. It covers about 23.9 square miles of land and is home to about 36,500 residents. The location here is great, if you live in the area you have the luxury of being only minutes from Downtown Houston, The Woodlands, Lake Conroe, Tomball. Many areas that offer different attractions. Major roads and highways are I-45 and 2920 Hardy Toll Rd. Cypresswood Drive & East Louetta Rd are major roadways traveling through Spring.
- Tomball - Tomball is a city located miles outside of Houston in Harris County. The city covers 10.2 miles and is home to 9,089 people. Tomball’s main street is FM 2920 that runs east to west throughout, and Highway 249 that runs north and south throughout. The city also has its own Independent school district.
- West University Place - West University surrounds Rice University and has a strong independent community spirit. A lot of young urban professionals and their families call the area home. The high-quality schools and upscale shops and entertainment reflect this. The area of West University is connected via many main arteries to the Astrodome, Downtown and the Texas Medical Center.
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Additional Resources
Texas Laws – Visit the official website of Texas legislation to gain access to the state statutes. Here you can access the laws and regulations set forth by Texas lawmakers. Each chapter is organized by subject area code such as the Penal Code for crimes. Access the statutes to read more about how Texas trials work and the penalties for certain offenses. Texas Crime Statistics – Visit the official website of the Texas Department of Public Safety to learn more about their Uniform Crime Reporting program. Access the site to read data and stats for arrests and crimes made in the state of Texas.
Defense Lawyer Located in Harris County, Texas
If you or someone you know has been struggling with criminal charges, it’s imperative you seek an experienced criminal defense attorney. You can find one today by calling the attorneys at [firm]. Our attorneys have been practicing for years in Harris County courts. Call [phone] to set up a consultation with a skilled attorney. [firm] accepts clients throughout the Houston metropolitan area including Magnolia Park, Brays Oaks and Uptown.
This article was last updated on March 21, 2019.
