As you explore your many options, these are some questions you may want to consider when selecting an lawyer:
How long has my lawyer been practicing law in Texas?
Does the lawyer have experience "on the inside", having been a former prosecutor?
Does the lawyer routinely handle cases in the local courthouse where the State and judges know him, and his reputation?
Has the lawyer earned a reputation in the community such that he has lectured to members of law enforcement, or other attorneys on criminal law topics?
Is the lawyer a member in good standing of both local and statewide professional organizations that promote high standards in the practice of law and criminal defense?
William Cantrell:
Are you facing criminal charges? Do you need a competent and efficient criminal defense attorney? Has a loved one been arrested and thrown in jail? Were you, or was someone you know, caught driving while intoxicated (DWI)?
Kirk Martin:
More often than not, individuals who are the subjects of traffic stops are asked to consent to a search of their vehicle and or person. Feelings of intimidation combined with lack of legal knowledge often leads one to give the law enforcement officer permission to conduct the search. As a result, many defendants find themselves arrested after suspected contraband or criminal evidence is found, none of which would have been discovered absent the owner's consent.
Vick, Carney & Smith:
DWI Arrests - Mandatory 15 day deadline
Driving while intoxicated arrests are unlike virtually any other criminal cases in many aspects. Probably the most immediate issue is confiscation and seizure of the citizen's driver's license. Under Texas law, when this is done police are supposed to provide you with a document to act as a temporary driving permit. In the small print of that document you are advised you have a right to contest the taking of your driver's license. Most people just assume (wrongly) the courts will notify them of when they can appear to contest the case and try to stop the suspension of the license. THAT IS THE DANGER! Texas law states (and the documents' fine print tells you) that the burden is on you , the person who was arrested, to see that a written demand in the proper form is made for a hearing to challenge the license suspension. If you or your attorney do not do this within 15 days of the date of the arrest you have forfeited your right to even have such a hearing to try to stop the license suspension.