WM
Biography
Looking back, I was destined to become a criminal defense lawyer from the beginning. Long before I became a lawyer I had a desire to see that everyone is treated fairly and got upset over what I saw as injustice. I think that seed was first planted when I read about the way we treated other races, and the second class citizenship they had, and struggled to understand how anyone could condone that (something I still can't comprehend or understand). In my teenage years, I veered to the far left on social issues, which drove my conservative father crazy. I thought he was going to have a heart attack when I told him I wanted to work for the American Civil Liberties Union. I never did that, but around my second year in college, I realized that I wanted to go to law school so I would be able to fight for justice through the legal system.
I was fortunate to clerk for an older lawyer when I was in law school who did some criminal defense work. I quickly discovered that I loved this area of law; it gave me an opportunity to utilize my passion for justice. When I graduated from law school I didn't follow the traditional path of most criminal defense lawyers. That means I didn't go to work for a District Attorney's office; I couldn't see myself representing the State against the individual. Instead of going to the District Attorney's office, I opened my own office. My first trial was within a couple of months of being licensed. I represented a couple of skydivers who had been charged with criminal trespass after skydiving off a skyscraper. Not only did I win the case, I was mentioned in a magazine article about the case. I was hooked, and slowly started handling criminal cases, and that soon was my primary practice area. I became Board Certified in Criminal Law as soon as I could, which was after I had been in practice for 5 years. When it became available, I also became certified in Criminal Appellate law.
It's now been over 35 years; over those years I have had the privilege of helping hundreds of people who have been accused of crimes. In doing so, I’ve developed a statewide reputation by working with organizations across the State, as well as writing and speaking at continuing legal education programs. I am also one of the few lawyers in Texas with membership in the Academy of Forensic Sciences, which allows me to stay up to date on the ways science is being used in the criminal justice system.
In addition to Board certified, I also have the highest rating given by the two national ranking systems, Martindale-Hubbell, and Avvo, and in the case of the 5.0 AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, have maintained that ranking for over 20 years.
Most people have never had to hire a lawyer before. They have no idea what to look for, or what questions to ask. The internet is full of hype; every lawyer is “tough”, “aggressive”, “caring” and will “work hard for you “. No lawyer looks bad on the internet, so selecting a lawyer can be overwhelming unless you know what to look for.