The city of Frisco, TX, has the unique distinction of being a part of two different counties, Collin and Denton. While that may seem like an inconsequential bit of information that probably won’t come in handy outside of trivia night, the two-county property lines can make a difference when it comes to law and code enforcement. If you get in trouble, finding a good defense attorney in Frisco, Texas will not be trivial.
In other words, the boundary lines of Collin and Denton Counties and the city of Frisco can create problems when considering legal representation. Think of it as trying to deal with a code violation in a city within a county. If you live in Collin County and commit a crime in Frisco, would the law of Collin County or the city of Frisco apply? Because while both exist in the state of Texas, the county and the city exist as two separate government entities, which means the rules might be a little different in both areas.
As a fictional example, say you’re accused of running a red light in Collin County. It’s a small crime and no one was injured, so maybe the punishment would be a fine of $125 and a verbal warning. Simple and straightforward, right?
Now suppose you’re accused of the same crime in the Frisco jurisdiction. Same situation, some consequences, so it should be the same punishment. Nope; the rules and regulations within Frisco could result in $250 and six months on probation.
Different punishments. Unfair? Maybe. Frustrating? Absolutely. Unique? Unfortunately, no. It’s illegal to milk someone else’s cow in the state of Texas, but it might be fine to do so in Florida. That’s just how jurisdictions work. The overseeing governmental body has the power or right to exercise authority and control.
The various overlapping jurisdictions can be very frustrating when trying to accomplish a simple task. Spend 20 minutes on hold with the Denton offices trying to find information only for the operator to inform you it’s not their department and you’ll have to contact the Collin office, you can appreciate how important having the right lawyer can be to getting answers and proper treatment.
With that in mind, it’s important to know to consider the geographical location of the crime in question when considering legal representation. While any Texas state lawyer needs to be a member in good standing with the Texas State Bar Association, a lawyer operating in Denton County might not be as prepared to defend your case if the crime in question involved Collin County rules and regulations. Likewise, crimes within the city’s jurisdictions would be best handled by a lawyer experienced with city rules.
It should be stressed here that legal representation in the overlapping Colling/Denton/city jurisdictions does not only apply to the big crimes. Even small challenges like parking tickets and code violations can benefit from having a lawyer specializing in the municipal rules of each area.
With that in mind, if you require legal representation but don’t know where to start looking, contact the Law Offices of Philip D. Ray today. It’s important to have a defense attorney you can trust to responsibly handle your case. Let us help you do it right.