Most Common Criminal Charges in Williamson County, TX

Between 2013 and 2023, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department recorded 19,961 arrests. About 71% were classified as low-level, non-violent offenses, according to Police Scorecard data compiled from FBI UCR records.

This page ranks the most common criminal charges filed across Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Hutto, and Leander, compares 2024 figures with the prior year, and highlights the charge categories growing fastest in Williamson County. Our Texas Board-Certified criminal defense attorney at the Law Offices of Ryan H. Deck defends clients across all of these charge categories in Williamson County courts.

Where Williamson County Crime Data Comes From

Williamson County crime data is drawn from city-level offense reports (Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park), county-level arrest statistics from the Williamson County Sheriff's Office, and statewide figures from the Texas Department of Public Safety's Crime in Texas report, cross-referenced against the FBI Crime Data Explorer.

Felony and serious misdemeanor cases are handled at the Williamson County Justice Center in Georgetown. Depending on the case, charges may land in one of three district courts:

• 26th District Court, which includes the Felony Mental Health Docket.
• 277th District Court, which includes the Transformative Justice Program.
• 368th District Court, which includes the dedicated Felony DWI Docket.

Some 2024 numbers are preliminary because agencies report their data on different schedules.

Williamson County Criminal Charges Ranked by Frequency

1. Property Crime: Theft, Burglary, and Auto Theft

Property crime is the single largest offense category across Williamson County's major cities. The Texas DPS Q4 2025 Crime in Texas report recorded a 22.44% statewide drop in total index crimes in Q4 2025 compared to Q4 2024, with Q1 2025 also down 20.56%, the most current verified data available. Locally, Georgetown PD's official 2025 annual statistics recorded 191 vehicle burglaries for the year.

Cedar Park cases are dominated by auto burglaries and vehicle thefts, which together account for roughly one-third of all Cedar Park property crimes.

Texas records a statewide property crime rate of approximately 2,041 per 100,000 residents, and Williamson County sits below that average.

Auto theft frequently adds an unauthorized use charge under Texas Penal Code §31.07, a state jail felony regardless of vehicle value, and prior theft convictions trigger felony enhancements on amounts that would otherwise be misdemeanors.

Theft penalties under Texas Penal Code §31.03:

2. DWI in Williamson County

Georgetown PD's official 2025 annual statistics recorded 256 DUI/DWI arrests, one of the highest per-capita enforcement rates in Williamson County. Round Rock, Georgetown, and Cedar Park all run "No Refusal" initiatives: when a driver refuses a breath test, officers obtain a judicial warrant for a blood draw, so refusal does not eliminate the possibility of chemical evidence.

The 368th District Court's standalone Felony DWI Docket reflects the volume this generates. Defense challenges typically target the legality of the stop, proper SFST administration, blood sample chain of custody, and retrograde extrapolation methodology.

DWI penalties under Texas Penal Code §49.04 and §49.08:

• 1st offense (BAC 0.08): Class B misdemeanor, up to 180 days in jail, $2,000 fine.
• 1st offense (BAC 0.15): Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail, $4,000 fine.
• 2nd offense: Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year, mandatory ignition interlock.
• 3rd offense: Third-degree felony, 2–10 years, $10,000 fine.
• DWI with a child passenger: State jail felony regardless of prior record.
• Intoxication manslaughter: Second-degree felony, 2–20 years in prison.

Blood evidence often becomes a central issue in Williamson County DWI cases, especially when police seek a warrant after a refusal. Interlock requirements may also become part of bond, probation, or license-related conditions.

3. Aggravated Assault

Georgetown's 2025 data included a high-profile triple homicide, significant for a city that historically averaged zero to one homicide per year. Georgetown PD recorded 1,456 total arrests in 2025. In January 2026, a 17-year-old shooter was sentenced to 50 years for murder at Pond Springs Elementary following a 2025 incident.

Round Rock and Cedar Park statistics held relatively flat; roughly half of Cedar Park's aggravated assault cases were family-violence related.

Under Texas Penal Code §22.02, the charge applies when a person causes serious bodily injury or uses a deadly weapon: a second-degree felony in most cases (2–20 years, up to $10,000 fine), rising to a first-degree felony (5–99 years) when a deadly weapon causes serious bodily injury to a family member or the target is a public servant.

4. Drug Possession Charges

Drug possession accounts for roughly 22% of all low-level Williamson County arrests over the 2013–2023 period, per Police Scorecard/FBI UCR analysis. The share is stable, but the composition is shifting: fentanyl-related homicide charges entered the local docket in 2024 after Round Rock filed dealer charges under 2023

Recent Texas law permits homicide charges if a fentanyl delivery results in death. While felony cases are largely driven by heroin and methamphetamine, marijuana misdemeanors are decreasing. Possession charges typically escalate to state jail felonies based on weight (even under one gram for Penalty Group 1) or a defendant’s prior record.

Texas controlled substance penalties (Texas Health and Safety Code, Penalty Groups):

5. Assault and Family Violence

Family violence is one of the most aggressively prosecuted categories in Williamson County. Statewide Texas DPS data confirms it as a persistent driver of assault charges. Cedar Park's 2024 figures showed roughly half of its aggravated assault caseload was family-violence related.

A conviction carries consequences beyond the criminal sentence: a misdemeanor family violence conviction triggers a federal firearms ban under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), affects child custody, can expose non-citizens to removal, and restricts movement under protective orders.

Texas law also allows the DA to proceed when a victim recants by subpoenaing the victim and relying on body camera footage and initial statements.

Charge levels under Texas Penal Code §22.01 and §22.02:

• Simple assault (family member): Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year, $4,000 fine.
• Assault with choking or strangulation: Third-degree felony, 2–10 years.
• Continuous violence against the family (two or more assaults within 12 months): Third-degree felony, 2–10 years.
• Aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon: First-degree felony, 5–99 years.

6. Evading and Resisting Arrest

Evading arrest appears regularly in Williamson County filings and almost always accompanies a primary charge. Its significance lies in the escalation it forces: a defendant facing a Class B misdemeanor DWI who flees in a vehicle now also faces a state jail felony. Prosecutors stack the charges as plea leverage.

Challenging the legality of the original stop can undercut both charges simultaneously. Under Texas Penal Code §38.04, evading on foot is a Class A misdemeanor; in a vehicle, a state jail felony (180 days – 2 years); causing serious bodily injury or death, a third-degree felony or higher.

The Three Fastest-Growing Charges in Williamson County (2024)

Three categories are growing faster than Williamson County’s population:

1. Aggravated Assault

Georgetown’s aggravated assault cases rose from 80 to 113, a 40% year-over-year increase. Round Rock also logged three homicides in 2024, compared with a historical baseline of zero to one.

2. Fentanyl-Related Drug Charges

In October 2025, a Georgetown man was convicted for dealing cocaine laced with fentanyl in connection with the death of a Cedar Park man, one of the first successful prosecutions under 2023 Texas legislation allowing homicide-level charges when a supplied dose kills the recipient. In May 2026, a repeat offender was sentenced to 25 years for assault and methamphetamine possession.

3. Family Violence

The Williamson County County Attorney's Office prosecutes approximately 11,000 misdemeanor cases per year, and assault and family violence drive a significant share of that volume. Cedar Park's recent figures show roughly half of its aggravated assault caseload is family-violence related.

How Williamson County Prosecutors Build Criminal Cases

The Williamson County District Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions. Misdemeanor cases are handled in the county courts at law.

Common evidence in Williamson County criminal cases includes:

• Officer body camera footage
• Written police reports
• Blood draws and breath tests in DWI cases
• Chemical testing in drug cases
• Surveillance footage
• Dash camera video
• Phone records
• GPS data
• Toxicologist testimony
• Crash reconstruction testimony

Prior convictions can raise the charge level quickly:

• A prior DWI can convert a Class B misdemeanor into a Class A misdemeanor.
• A prior state jail drug felony can elevate a new possession case to a third-degree felony.
• A prior family violence conviction can turn a later family member assault from a Class A misdemeanor into a third-degree felony.

What to Do If You Face Criminal Charges in Williamson County

An arrest is not a conviction, but the first 24 to 72 hours can shape the rest of the case.

Do not speak to law enforcement without an attorney present. Anything said can become evidence, even statements meant to explain, apologize, or minimize what happened.

Do not treat a misdemeanor as harmless. A Class A misdemeanor conviction can create a permanent record visible in employment checks, housing applications, firearm screenings, and background checks.

Effective criminal defense in Williamson County covers:

• Challenging the legality of the stop, search, or arrest.
• Contesting the chain of custody and the accuracy of chemical test results.
• Filing motions to suppress unlawfully obtained evidence under the Fourth Amendment.
• Engaging the prosecutor before indictment, when the most favorable resolutions are available.

The earlier a criminal defense attorney gets involved, the more options remain open.

2024 Williamson County Crime: Summary

Property crime leads by volume but declined modestly in Round Rock. Aggravated assault surged 40% in Georgetown. DWI prosecution is not slowing. Drug cases are shifting toward fentanyl with new homicide charge categories. Family violence continues at a steady rate with outsized collateral consequences.

The Law Offices of Ryan H. Deck defends clients facing criminal charges in Williamson County. The firm is led by Ryan H. Deck, a Texas Board-Certified criminal defense attorney and former Assistant District Attorney practicing exclusively in Williamson County. Fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys hold Board Certification in Criminal Law. Contact us today to discuss your Williamson County criminal defense case.