One of the moments I’m most proud of in my career came after a Motion to Suppress hearing. A United States Attorney I had litigated against reached out to me—not with criticism, but with genuine praise. He explained that he also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame Law School and had a transcript prepared of my cross-examination of the DEA agents. He told me it was the most effective cross-examination he had seen and asked for my permission to use it as a teaching tool in his trial advocacy class.

Another accomplishment I’m proud of is being selected by the judges of Nueces County to receive the inaugural Golden Tie Award—an honor created to recognize the attorney with the most outstanding pretrial motions practice. It was intended to be an annual award, but as it turns out, I was the only recipient ever selected. I still have the tie, and it remains a meaningful reminder of that recognition.

People are often surprised to learn that, in addition to criminal defense, our firm also handles personal injury cases. With over 80 years of combined legal experience, we frequently take on these cases—often in collaboration with other law firms—to ensure our clients receive comprehensive representation. 

With a degree in Political Science and few clear job options at the time, I turned to my academic advisor for guidance. Their suggestion to consider law school ended up being a pivotal moment in my life.

But more importantly, what drove me to stay on this path was the disproportionate access to quality legal defense—particularly among minority communities. I was struck by how often individuals are wrongfully accused, and sometimes sentenced to years—or even life—for crimes they didn’t commit. Many of these outcomes result not from a lack of evidence, but from ineffective counsel or inexperienced trial lawyers.

I became an attorney to be part of the solution. I want to ensure that every person—regardless of their background—has access to a real defense. My goal is to provide the kind of representation that could mean the difference between justice and injustice.

After all, who holds the system accountable? Who polices the police? In many ways, that responsibility falls to criminal defense lawyers like myself.

Military service sharpens qualities like discipline and attention to detail—both critical in law. My six years in the Marine Corps Infantry strengthened these traits and directly contributed to my development as a lawyer.

Criminal law was the one area in law school that truly resonated with me. I believe this was influenced by my upbringing in an inner-city neighborhood, where firsthand exposure to crime sparked a deep, personal interest in understanding the legal system.

I first assisted with a murder trial during a summer internship in 1992, which marked the beginning of my long-standing involvement in homicide cases. Since then, I’ve handled too many to count. Over just the past five years (since 2019), I’ve resolved approximately 26 murder and manslaughter cases. Of those, 12 murder charges were dismissed—most on the grounds of self-defense. Four trials resulted in manslaughter convictions rather than murder. Several cases were resolved through plea agreements, and two resulted in murder convictions. Currently, I have 8 to 10 homicide cases pending.