Boisenews Now

When someone in Fort Bend County is arrested and calls Capetillo Law Firm, there is a good chance the Fort Bend County criminal defense attorney answers the phone himself. For founder Adam Capetillo, that direct line is not a marketing tactic, but a foundation of how he has practiced criminal defense since opening his own firm in 2017.

Capetillo was licensed in 2013 and went out on his own four years later, building a practice centered on Fort Bend County, Harris County, and surrounding counties. A lifelong resident of the area, he made an early decision that still defines the firm: he handles criminal law and nothing else.

“I like to stay in my lane and only do what I know,” Capetillo said. “I found out early in my career, if I try to do family law or any other type of law, I’m a fish out of water.” He holds other attorneys to the same standard, noting that lawyers from other fields who wander into criminal defense often struggle without proper guidance. When clients bring him a matter outside of criminal law, whether personal injury, family, or contracts, he points them to trusted colleagues who handle that area of law. “I run through my list of names and direct them to somebody that knows exactly what to do with that type of case.”

Growing up in the area gives Capetillo an edge his clients may not expect. When someone describes where they were stopped or what they were doing, he usually knows the spot. “More times than not, I know exactly where they were and know the area. I can picture it in my head,” he said. Familiarity with local traffic patterns and ongoing construction in the area often helps him understand exactly what a client experienced that caused them to be detained by police. “I live here, I’ve grown up here, and I’ve driven the same roads, so I understand what the Client means about how the road was confusing.”

Many of the people who hire Capetillo have never been in trouble before. “Most of the people that hire me have no criminal history, and never anticipated being put in handcuffs,” he said. A large share are professionals with a great deal on the line due to a pending criminal charge. “They have a lot to lose with even a low-level misdemeanor arrest. It could be their job or even their career.”

That is why he places heavy emphasis on expunctions and nondisclosures, two tools for clearing the path after a case. An expunction is the stronger of the two. Once a judge signs the order, every agency on notice must destroy its records, so the arrest no longer surfaces on a Texas criminal background check. The goal in every case, he explains, is to reach a dismissal or rejection that makes the client eligible for an expungement.

When the outcome does not allow for a dismissal, he tries to structure deals so the Client is eligible for a nondisclosure, which is the next best outcome. It seals the case from public view, so most private employers will not see it, though law enforcement and certain government agencies still will see the details of the arrest. “It’s the second-best thing for individuals that don’t get their case outright dismissed,” he said.

One thing he rarely turns away is the assumption that a case is too unusual for him to handle. The only criminal matters he refers out are Class C misdemeanors, which are heard in different courts. “I tell people, call a traffic ticket lawyer who is familiar with that Court,” he said, explaining that those attorneys know the court, the prosecutors, and the procedures far better than he would.

Capetillo stays active in groups such as the Fort Bend County Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, which he says directly benefits clients. “It creates a larger base of knowledge. Even though they’re hiring me, they get benefits of the knowledge of other lawyers through me,” he said. When a new wrinkle appears, he can confer with attorneys in his network and to get a brainstorm going for odd situations. “I can handle 100 DWIs but every single one of them is going to be different based on the facts, evidence, and Officers specific to each case.”

Above all, Capetillo wants clients to reach him directly. When he is not in court, calls route to his cell phone. “Their case is the most important thing that’s going on in their lives right now,” he said. “If they can have direct access to the attorney and get the exact answers that they’re looking for, that is very helpful to them.”

Media Contact
Company Name: Capetillo Law Firm
Contact Person: Adam Capetillo
Email: Send Email
Phone: (346) 249-5544
Address:345 Commerce Green Blvd., Ste. 200
City: Sugar Land
State: TX 77478
Country: United States
Website: https://capetillolaw.com/