Pharr, TX Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

Tampering with evidence is a serious crime that involves the alteration, destruction, concealment or falsifying of physical evidence. In Texas, where you are from, it is a third degree felony if, knowing that an official investigation or proceeding is underway, you alter, conceal, destroy or fabricate a document or other piece of physical evidence with the intent to affect the outcome of the proceeding or investigation. There is a misdemeanor form of evidence tampering but it only applies to situations where a person observes human remains and, believing a crime is involved, fails to tell the authorities. Each act of alteration, destruction or concealment is a separate offense. Tampering with evidence can include a wide range of activities, from swallowing drugs during a traffic stop to destroying drugs during a search of your house, to altering lottery tickets or money orders to disposing of a murder weapon. Third degree felonies in Texas carry a penalty of between two and ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.00.

Right now it's going to show that you have an active arrest warrant and that you have an open and pending case for the public intoxication case. Signing the paperwork for deferred disposition does not end the case. Basically, the case is put on pause while you complete the terms and conditions of the deal. If you don't complete the terms and conditions, the judge issues a summons for you to appear in court and show casue why you shouldn't be adudicated and found guilty. If you don't respond to that a warrant will issue for your arrest. It sounds like that is the posture of your case. You need to hire an attorney to get that worked out for you. You'll have to pay a bond fee so that the warrant can be lifted. Your attorney can direct you to a bonsman or you can find one on your own. Once the warrant is lifted the court will place you on the docket. Once you're on the docket your attorney can go to court and speak to the DA about the case. At that point they'll either work out another deferred (if the judge will allow it at this point) or a conviction.  As an aside, if you have successfully completed the deferred, you would not have a conviction. 

No, he needs his own criminal lawyer. And he absolutely should hire the best he can afford. Theft is very serious and could prevent him from ever having a good job again.