Let Me Put My Reputation and Experience to Work for You

I have extensive experience in the defense of DWI at every level from the first-time misdemeanants to habitual felons.  I also handle intoxication related cases such as intoxication assault and leaving the scene of an accident.

At any given time, DWI defense represents over 50% of my practice.  I have had great success defending these charges throughout my career and former clients continue to refer friends, family members, and co-workers to me.  Not all of my colleagues enjoy DWI defense, but I actually like handling these cases.  To me, this is the one crime the average person may commit is his or her lifetime.  The financial impact of such prosecutions and the future exposure to enhanced penalties are unacceptable in my view.  For this reason, I do everything in my power to help my clients avoid being convicted of DWI.          

Note that this includes actions affecting driving privileges such administrative license revocation defense and occupational driver’s license services as well.     

These cases include defense of family violence allegations, protective order defense, and defense of allegations involving serious bodily injury and/or the use of a weapon during the commission of an assault. 

The second most frequent offense I see in my practice is assault, with assault family violence and aggravated assault being the most common.  As with DWI, there are numerous collateral consequences to taking an assault conviction.  For example, if someone pleads to a misdemeanor assault family violence charge, they will be exposed to felony prosecution if they are ever accused of a similar offense in the future and they are prohibited from owning firearms.  For these reasons, and the fact that such offenses are over-charged in our community, I work very hard to avoid conviction in every case. 

These cases include mere possession cases, to possession with intent to distribute, to obtaining prescription medications by fraud/forgery. 

I handle all cases involving marijuana, other drugs, or controlled substances.  These cases range from misdemeanors to high level felonies depending upon the substance involved and/or the amount of the substance.  It should be noted that the prosecution of marijuana cases is on the decline in my jurisdiction and the crackdown on prescription drugs has led to a decline in those sorts of cases as well.  Whether an individual has drugs for personal use or is dealing drugs, I handle both types of scenarios and have a great track record. 

Theft can include everything from shoplifting to theft by check to credit card abuse to embezzlement.  Theft charges can be filed at a misdemeanor or felony level depending on the person’s criminal history or the value of the items alleged to have been stolen.  These cases are quite common and have broad ramifications due to their classification as “crimes of moral turpitude.”  My goal is to avoid conviction whenever possible, and I work diligently toward that result. 

With embezzlement cases I have been successful at avoiding charges altogether for clients who are willing and able to make restitution

This broad category includes sexual assault (commonly referred to as “rape”) and the sexual abuse of children as well as lesser offenses such as indecency and public lewdness.  Sexual assault of a child is a very serious allegation and carries with it exposure to severe criminal penalties as well as the possible life-long stigma of having to register as a sex offender.  Such cases are difficult to defend due to the incendiary nature of the allegations and our general sense that we do not want people who would do that on the street.  Some lawyers simply won’t take these sorts of cases.  I have sought special training in this area and know from experience that as bad as such allegations are, they are sometimes completely false.  People accused of the sexual assault of a child need and deserve a lawyer as much as anyone and I am willing to take on such cases. 

Similarly, adult sexual assault cases involving individuals who know each other (commonly referred to as “date rape”) are often the result of false allegations or an honest misunderstanding of the intent of the alleged victim.  These cases must be litigated to get at the truth and I am comfortable and very experienced in handling such matters.  I have had great success in this area.           

Unlawfully carrying a weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon or a weapon in a prohibited place, and felon in possession are all offenses that can be quite easy to commit.  This is an area that is constantly evolving in Texas and ignorance of the law is never a defense.   

Probation can be difficult and the consequences for violating the terms of a misdemeanor or felony probation can be serious.  If you are on “deferred adjudication” probation, you can be found guilty of the offense if you violate your probation terms.  If you are on a “straight probation,” violating the terms of the probation may result in your incarceration.  The most common causes of the filing of a Motion to Revoke Probation are the failure to report to one’s probation officer or the commission of a new criminal offense.  Non-compliance with the terms of any condition of probation can result in revocation, however.  Failed drug tests, non-compliance with alcohol monitoring devices, not doing court ordered community service, failure to pay fees and restitution, failure to complete required counseling, etc. can all lead to a Motion to Revoke or a Motion to Adjudicate.  I have had good success helping my clients get back on track to avoid conviction and/or incarceration, even in the case of very serious felony probation.  If you have been told by your probation officer that he or she plans to file a motion, or you are aware that a warrant for your arrest has been issued due to a probation violation, please call me for a consultation.

By law many individuals can seek an early termination of their probation if they have completed all the terms and conditions, e.g. counseling and community service, and are up to date on their fees.  By filing a Motion for Early Release, you may be spared up to half the required term of probation and thus return to normal life sooner than you otherwise could have.   

If your case was dismissed or you were found Not Guilty at trial, I can help you get your record expunged.  There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet and elsewhere about what entitles a person to expunction.  No matter what you have heard or what a previous lawyer told you, the circumstances under which you can get your record cleared are very specific and require the analysis of someone who knows the law in this area.  This procedure may be more important for some than others depending on what they want to do with their career and education and whether they have other cases on their record.  Additionally, the severity of the charge may impact a person’s decision on whether the costs of expunction are worth it.  I always provide people with my honest assessment of the pros and cons of this procedure to determine whether it is appropriate for them to expend the resources to seek expunction.  I am happy to discuss your unique circumstances with you. 

In cases where an individual has successfully completed deferred adjudication probation, he or she may be eligible for an Order of Non-Disclosure instead of expunction.  While the records in such cases will still be available to certain entities such as law enforcement and prosecutor’s offices, this procedure prevents public access to documents relating to the arrest.     

Oftentimes in conjunction with an assault family violence case the alleged victim also applies for a Protective Order. Whenever possible these should be vigorously opposed. The hearing will take place in County Court if no children are involved and District Court if the parties do have children together. The burden of proof in such an action is a mere preponderance of the evidence, so they are often granted.  Nevertheless, Protective Orders can be successfully defended and the costs of failing to defend against them can be quite severe.  For example, major restrictions on the Respondent’s movement and access to his or her children can be put in place.  Furthermore, if the Protective Order is granted, the violation of that order is a separate criminal offense and multiple violations resulting in convictions can result in felony charges.

If you get served with paperwork indicating someone is seeking a Protective Order against you, contacting a lawyer quickly is very important. I can help.  

CPS often gets involved when there are allegations of either abuse or neglect of a child or when a child is present during the commission of crime (e.g. an assaultive offense involving the parents).  Parents should never go it alone when CPS wants to speak to them.  It is important to have an advocate early on in the process.

Title IX creates a system through which allegations of sexual misconduct on college campuses can be addressed in an administrative context.  The accused does not have proper due process in these investigations and is not entitled to a lawyer.  Constitutional protections are lacking for the person accused by someone of impropriety in the campus environment.  It is critical to have counsel as one navigates this process as the consequences for the unrepresented student can be extreme.   

Our juvenile justice system stands outside and apart from the normal criminal justice framework.  The rules are different, the venue is different, and the potential consequences of a criminal charge are different.  I have had special training in this area and it is required to fully understand how it all works.  With the increasing presence of law enforcement in our schools, and the increased use of the juvenile justice system to handle even minor offenses that occur on school campuses, juvenile cases are on the rise.  I am happy to help with such matters and this is not an area in which many lawyers feel comfortable or competent.  

There are many offenses under the various codes and laws of Texas, and I have handled most of them during my career. The expanded list above is not exhaustive, and new laws to criminalize conduct are always up for consideration by our legislature. Other criminal cases I typically handle include:

• Theft by Check
• Burglary
• Criminal Trespass
• False Statement to Get Credit
• Prostitution
• Sale of Alcohol to a Minor
• Criminal Mischief
• Violation of Protective Order
• Various Class C Charges (PI, DUI, MIP, Theft, Assault, Traffic Violations)

I am happy to meet with you to discuss your options for representation even if you do not see your criminal matter on this list.  If another lawyer is a better fit for your matter, I have a large and trusted referral network.