At a Glance: Fulgham Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys comes out on top of this list, and the numbers back it up. Two named partners, one a former Tarrant County prosecutor, run a team of seven attorneys out of five offices across the region. Founding partner Brandon Fulgham has practiced criminal law in Fort Worth since 2004. That kind of staying power is rare in a courthouse where cases move fast and reputations follow lawyers around. Five more firms below deserve a look too, each strong in a specific lane.
Tarrant County criminal cases funnel through the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center downtown, a building that sees a steady stream of DWI, assault, and drug charges filed out of traffic stops near the I-30 and I-35W interchange locals call the Mixmaster. Add in the crowds that spill out of the Stockyards and Sundance Square on weekend nights, and Fort Worth generates plenty of arrests that never should have ended in a criminal charge, or that deserve a lawyer who can push back hard. The six firms below all handle these cases as a full-time practice, not a side job. Compare them by the numbers before you pick up the phone.
Fort Worth Criminal Defense Firms, By the Numbers
| Firm | Focus | Experience | Recognition | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulgham Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys | DWI, drug charges, assault, theft, expunction | 20+ years (Fulgham), former Tarrant County prosecutor (Hampton) | Avvo Superb 10.0, National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (2014-2017) | 5 offices across Tarrant, Parker, Johnson, and Denton counties |
| Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC | DWI, drug charges, assault, sex crimes, white-collar | 350+ combined jury trials | Fort Worth Magazine Top Criminal Defense Lawyers (2022-2026) | Every partner is a former Tarrant County prosecutor |
| Cofer Luster Law Firm | Federal crimes, homicide, sex crimes, DWI | 60+ years combined experience | Two Board Certified attorneys (Texas Board of Legal Specialization) | Former federal public defender and former magistrate judge on staff |
| Michael & Associates | DWI, ALR license hearings, drug offenses | 20+ years (Redington), 11 years at TX DPS (Andelman) | 9.7/10 Avvo rating, Top 10 DUI/DWI Attorneys | In-house experience with the state agency that runs license hearings |
| The Law Office of Roel Elizalde Jr, PLLC | DWI, theft, domestic violence, immigration-linked charges | Licensed since 2016 | Super Lawyers Rising Star (2023-2026) | Bilingual attorney, English and Spanish, handles immigration overlap |
| Allman Law | Misdemeanors, felonies, DWI, business and estate law | Practicing since 2007 | Justia and Avvo profiled | One firm for a criminal case tangled up with a business or estate matter |
The Numbers Behind This List
We counted years in practice, courtroom trial totals, board certifications, and independent recognition like Super Lawyers and Avvo scores instead of relying on ad copy. Every firm below runs criminal defense as a primary practice with a visible track record in Tarrant County courts. A firm with no clear local caseload got left off.
1. Fulgham Hampton Criminal Defense Attorneys
Brandon Fulgham built his practice in Fort Worth starting in 2004 and later merged with Jeff Hampton, who spent years inside the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office trying felony, misdemeanor, and grand jury cases before he switched sides. That combination gives the firm a rare view of how local prosecutors build a case, paired with a defense attorney’s instinct for finding the gap in it. The firm now runs five offices, in Fort Worth, Bedford, Weatherford, Arlington, and Southlake, and handles DWI, drug charges, assault, theft, domestic violence, juvenile crimes, and expunctions. Hampton holds an Avvo Superb 10.0 rating and a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 designation from 2014 through 2017.
Best for: clients who want a founding attorney with two decades in Fort Worth courts, backed by a former prosecutor’s read on the other side’s strategy.
Address: 500 Main St #640, Fort Worth, TX 76102 | Phone: (817) 440-3227 | Website: https://www.criminalattorneyfortworth.com/
2. Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC
Every partner at this firm, Bryan Hoeller, Colin McLaughlin, Lindsay Truly, Dustin Trammel, and Hilary Wright, worked as a Tarrant County prosecutor before switching to defense work. That is a specific kind of leverage: five attorneys who know exactly how the DA’s office evaluates a case before deciding whether to offer a plea or push toward trial. The team has logged more than 350 combined jury trials and carries two Board Certified attorneys in criminal law. Fort Worth Magazine has named the firm a top criminal defense pick every year from 2022 through 2026, and the firm holds more than 300 five-star Google reviews.
Best for: a case that needs a full team of former prosecutors, not just one attorney with that background.
Address: 101 Summit Ave, Suite 101, Fort Worth, TX 76102 | Phone: (817) 334-7900
3. Cofer Luster Law Firm
Cody Cofer and James Luster built this firm around depth rather than volume. The team carries more than 60 years of combined experience, including a former federal public defender, a former magistrate judge, two Board Certified criminal law specialists, and a law professor who still teaches trial advocacy. That mix matters most in the cases other firms hand off: federal charges, homicide, and sex crime allegations that need a lawyer who has actually tried that kind of case before a jury.
Best for: federal charges or serious felony cases that call for specialized trial experience.
Address: 604 E 4th Street, Suite 100, Fort Worth, TX 76102 | Phone: (682) 777-3336
4. Michael & Associates
Zach Redington has spent 20 years defending DWI and criminal cases in state and federal court, and attorney Michelle Andelman brings something few competitors can match: 11 years working inside the Texas Department of Public Safety on Administrative License Revocation hearings, the same hearings that decide whether a DWI arrest costs you your license before the criminal case even goes to court. The firm holds a 9.7 out of 10 rating on Avvo and a Top 10 ranking from the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys.
Best for: a DWI arrest where the license hearing is moving faster than the criminal case.
Website: zealousadvocate.com/criminal-defense/texas/fort-worth
5. The Law Office of Roel Elizalde Jr, PLLC
Roel Elizalde has practiced in Fort Worth since 2016 and built a practice that leans into cases with a language barrier or an immigration consequence attached, working directly with clients in English and Spanish instead of routing calls through a translator. Super Lawyers has named him a Rising Star every year from 2023 through 2026. His caseload covers DWI, theft, domestic violence, and fraud charges, with particular attention to how a conviction can affect a client’s immigration status.
Best for: Spanish-speaking clients, or any case where a criminal charge could also trigger immigration consequences.
Address: 3901 Race Street, Fort Worth, TX 76111
6. Allman Law
Chad Allman opened his Fort Worth practice in 2007 and built it as a general firm rather than a criminal-only shop, handling misdemeanors, felonies, DWI, and traffic charges alongside business law and estate planning. That range helps a specific kind of client: someone facing a criminal charge that also touches a business partnership, a will, or an estate dispute, who would rather not hire two separate law firms to sort it all out.
Best for: a criminal case that overlaps with a business or estate matter already in motion.
Address: 6017 Reef Point Lane, Suite 115, Fort Worth, TX 76135 | Phone: (817) 237-1117
Run the Numbers Before You Decide
A star rating tells you how a past client felt once the case closed. It does not tell you how many cases like yours that attorney has taken to trial in Tarrant County, or whether the person on the phone during your consultation is the same person who shows up in court. Ask for both numbers directly. A firm that answers without hesitation is usually the one worth hiring.
FAQ
How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Fort Worth? It depends on the charge. A misdemeanor case often runs a flat fee, sometimes a few thousand dollars. Felony charges cost more because they require more investigation and court time. Ask for a written fee agreement before you sign anything.
What happens at an ALR hearing after a DWI arrest in Texas? Texas suspends your license automatically after a DWI arrest through a separate Administrative License Revocation process, apart from the criminal case. You have only 15 days from the arrest to request a hearing, and missing that window means an automatic suspension. A lawyer can request the hearing and fight the suspension directly.
Can a criminal charge be expunged in Tarrant County? Sometimes. Texas allows expunction for charges that were dismissed, resulted in an acquittal, or never led to a formal charge at all. A conviction is much harder to clear and usually requires a separate process called a nondisclosure order. An attorney can tell you early which option, if any, applies to your record.
Should I talk to police before I call a lawyer? No. You have the right to stay quiet beyond giving your name, and anything said during questioning can end up in the case against you. Ask for a lawyer first, then let the attorney decide what, if anything, you should say.
