Practice Areas

Defense

One takes on invincibility defending, one takes on vulnerability attacking.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War (c.500 B.C)

You only get one opportunity to defend against a criminal charge. It has to be done right the first time. I treat every case as if it were going to trial the first moment I begin working.

• Evidence favorable to the defense must be preserved.
• Witnesses must be identified.
• Legal issues must be resolved.
• A strategy for counterattack must be formulated.
• Weaknesses in the prosecution's case must be exploited.

Appeals

If a trial is lost, the case is not over. An experienced appelate attorney can appeal your case to the appropriate court of appeals and make every effort to get the case reversed.

A reversal can get you a new trial, or it may result in acquittal (found not guilty). I have argued appeals before the Texas Courts of Appeal, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin, and the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.

Here are links to some of the cases I have appealed. Each of these resulted in reversals of convictions and created new law in Texas.

• Arnold Ray Beedy vs. State of Texas (Improper "stacking" of sentences)
• Christopher Connley Davis vs. State of Texas (Denial of rights in jury selection)
• Billy Holmes vs. State of Texas (Denial of proper jury instructions in a drug case)

Expunctions

A criminal accusation creates a permanent record that anyone - police, other government agents, prospective employers, financial institutions, curious acquaintances and anyone else can easily find.

Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to have your record expunged or sealed. First it must be determined if you qualify for expunction or non-disclosure. If you do, you need an experienced attorney to obtain a court order protecting your record from public view.

Call me so we can discuss whether you qualify for either an expunction or a non-disclosure. Delay in sealing your record can result in it ending up on internet databases which anyone can see. The faster you act, the less the chance of this happening.

Wills

Make Your Important Decisions Now

A Will lets you, not state law or the courts, determine who will receive your property.

A Power of Attorney lets you designate someone you can trust to look after your financial affairs, and make decisions regardig your medical care, if you are unable to do so.

You can designate a Guardian to look after the interests of your minor children.

If you wish, you can direct your health care providers not to use "heroic" measures to keep your body alive if your illness or injury is irreversible.

But you need to take care of these matters while you are able...when you need them it will be too late.