General Info

I have been practicing Criminal Law since1980. Fresh out of law school, I moved to Huntsville to represent inmates at what was then known as the Texas Department of Corrections, or T.D.C. Primarily, I was reviewing criminal trial records and transcripts to determine if there were grounds to challenge the State’s case and my client’s conviction. I worked at some very difficult prison units, including the Eastham Unit, and Death Row at the Ellis Unit . As I spent more time behind bars, I became increasingly fascinated with the correctional process and the legalities of the treatment of the offender/incarcerated. I enrolled in a Master’s level class at Sam Houston State University taught by the late Dr. George Beto, Chair Emeritus. He was the former director of T.D.C. and truly one of the founding fathers of the American correctional system. The following semester I enrolled in two more classes, one of which was taught by Dr. Beto. I continued to take classes, completed my thesis, and eventually obtained a Master’s Degree in Criminology and Corrections. In 1986, I was hired by the Criminal Enforcement Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. I researched and wrote briefs in response to Writs of Habeas Corpus petitions which challenged an inmate’s conviction(s) in Federal Court. This was the other side of my job at TDC where I was writing Habeas Corpus petitions for inmates in both State and Federal Court. Like my employment as a prosecutor, this position gave me a healthy appreciation and understanding for my colleagues who work on the other side. Late in 1987 I was approached by a friend, Larry Dowling, Esquire, who lured me into the world of private practice. The timing seemed perfect, and I did not want to leave the Austin area. Larry and his partner, the late and dear Duncan Wilson, were more than kind and tolerant. They taught me the ins and outs of the courthouse, several tricks of the trade, and also, how to run a business. I am forever in their debt.