A Defense Built on What Actually Happened
Kidnapping Defense in San Angelo for people charged after a family dispute or a confrontation that turned into an accusation of forced movement.
A custody exchange gone wrong or a car ride two people now describe differently: kidnapping charges often grow out of moments that looked nothing like a crime at the time. The Law Office of Eric Oden defends people facing these felony charges, and as a former Tom Green County prosecutor, Eric Oden knows how these cases are assembled from the other side. If you have been charged in San Angelo, how the facts are framed early tends to follow the case through.
Kidnapping defense turns on four questions: whether there was consent, whether there was lawful authority, what the intent actually was, and what really happened with the movement or confinement the state is describing. Many of these cases come out of family situations with a reasonable explanation for where a child or relative was taken, and that explanation only carries weight once the facts behind it are investigated and documented.
Schedule a consultation to walk through the facts you believe the state has wrong.
What a Careful Kidnapping Defense Requires
The work starts with the state's version of events, piece by piece: where the person was, for how long, and who decided where they went. Each point is compared against phone records, messages, witness accounts, and any custody orders that gave someone the right to have a child with them. Where the timeline and evidence disagree, that gap becomes part of the defense.
Once that review is finished, you will know which parts of the accusation the prosecution can support and which parts rest on one person's account. The Law Office of Eric Oden walks you through that assessment in plain language, so the choice between negotiating and preparing for trial is made with a clear view of the evidence.
Kidnapping and aggravated kidnapping are charged differently, and the level the state chose often depends on allegations about injury, weapons, or the purpose of the confinement. Part of the defense is testing whether the facts support that level at all, and because Eric Oden makes accessibility a priority, answering his own phone and returning calls within 24 hours on weekdays whenever possible, new information reaches him directly.
These are the questions that come up most often about how a kidnapping defense is built.
What makes a family custody dispute become a kidnapping charge?
It usually follows a claim that a child was taken or kept without lawful authority, so custody orders and texts about who had the child become central evidence.
How does consent factor into a kidnapping defense?
The charge requires movement or confinement without consent, so messages, witnesses, or video showing the person went willingly matter.
Why does intent matter so much in these cases?
The state must prove what the accused meant to do, and the actual sequence of events can show a different purpose.
How does a former prosecutor's background shape the defense in San Angelo?
Eric Oden knows which evidence Tom Green County prosecutors lean on, which helps find where a case is weakest before district court.
What should you gather before your first meeting?
Bring custody orders, messages, call logs, and names of witnesses, since these often show what the police report leaves out.
What People Ask About Defending These Charges
The Law Office of Eric Oden also handles kidnapping defense in Ballinger, Junction, Wall, Brady and Christoval. Bring your charging paperwork to a consultation with The Law Office of Eric Oden and leave with a clear picture of how your case can be defended.