Get The Aggressive Defense You Deserve
Biography
Before choosing a lawyer, you should first find out what kind of experience the lawyer has had handling your kind of case. How many of those cases has the attorney actually handled, how many of them has he taken to trial and what were their outcomes.
Experience and Success: With over 30 years of trial experience and more that 45 major jury trials under my belt, I have been effectively defending clients charged with sex offenses, murders, crimes of violence, drug offenses and other crimes. This experience has enabled me to become a highly effective advocate and a strong adversary. I have a proven track record of success, having obtained numerous acquittals, dismissals and favorable pleas on behalf of my clients, especially those charged with sex offenses. Please see my results page.
Knowledge and skills: As a former prosecutor, I know all the practices and tactics and of the prosecution and how to successfully combat them. I understand how these cases are charged and what evidence prosecutors rely on for convictions. This knowledge guides my trial preparation and allows me to effectively scrutinize evidence and cross-examine alleged victims and witnesses. I also lecture at statewide seminars where I teach other lawyers criminal defense techniques. Please see my presentations page.
Work ethic: The great Vince Lombardi famously said, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." I believe that successful outcomes both at trail and through plea negotiations come only with steadfast and hard work. Getting good outcomes is not dependent on chance, but comes with thorough, meticulous and painstaking case preparation. The moment I am hired, I begin working on defense themes, strategies and tactics, and that work continues until your case is resolved.
Education
- Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Juris Doctorate - 1983
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- B.S., Bachelor of Science - 1979
- Major: Chemistry
Bar Admission
- Florida, 1985
- Louisiana, 1984
- Supreme Court of the United States of America, 1994
Representative Cases
- United States v. Dickerson, Court Martial, Barksdale Air force Base, 14 August 2014
- State of Louisiana v. Jordan, Caddo Parish, Doc. # 182421, June 22, 1998
- State of Louisiana v. Anderson, Caddo Parish, Doc. # 275373, Jan. 28, 2011
- State of Louisiana v. Williams, Caddo Parish Doc. # 286808, Nov. 17, 2011
- State of Louisiana v. Thompson, Bossier Parish, Doc. # 108327, September 25, 2003
- State of Louisiana v. DeLeon, Bienville Parish, Doc. # 41777, Sept., 23, 2010
- State of Louisiana v. Hazelton, Allen Parish, Doc. # 985159, March 8, 2001
- State of Louisiana vs. Johnson, Claiborne Parish Doc. # 27601, Apr. 14, 2015
- State of Louisiana v. Williams, Caddo Parish, Doc. # 181215, January 26, 1998
Classes & Seminars
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Defending Date Rape Accusations”, Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys; Natchitoches, Louisiana, 11/05/2014 to Present
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Professionalism;” Juvenile Witnesses and Sex Crime Accusations, Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys; Monroe, Louisiana, 06/10/2011 to Present
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Criminal Law & Procedure” Recent Developments by the Judiciary, Shreveport Bar Association, Shreveport, Louisiana, 10/08/2009 to Present
- Lecture: “Defending Clients Charged with Sex Abuse”, Criminal Defense Bar Association of Northwest Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana, 08/27/2009 to Present
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Litigating the Issues of Lustful Disposition Evidence under La. C.E. Art. 412.2,” 2009 - Fundamentals of Defense of Sex Offenses, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc. Marksville, Louisiana, 09/11/2009 to Present
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Capital Voir Dire”, Death Penalty Certification Seminar, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc. Marksville, Louisiana, 07/18/2008 to Present
- Lecture, Materials and Power Point Presentation: “Motions Practice,” Fundamentals of Criminal Practice, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc. Marksville, Louisiana, 08/03/2007 to Present
- Lecture and Materials: “Jury Selection in Death Penalty Work;” “Motions Practice in a Capital Trial” , 2006 - Death Penalty Certification Seminar, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc. Marksville, Louisiana, 07/15/2006 to Present
- Lecture: “The Defense Perspective”, Multidisciplinary Training Workshop; Gingerbread House & Bossier/Caddo Children’s Advocacy Center, Bossier City, Louisiana, 2004 to Present
- Lecture and Materials: “Effective Voir Dire Made Simple”, 2003 - Criminal Litigation Seminar, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc., Lafayette Louisiana, 11/21/2003 to Present
- Lecture and Materials: “Defending False Claims of Sex Abuse”, 2000 - Nuts and Bolts Seminar, Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys; Alexandria, Louisiana, 06/23/2000 to Present
- Lecture and Materials: “Defending False Claims of Sex Abuse”, 2000 - Criminal Litigation Seminar, Louisiana Public Defender’s Assoc., Lafayette Louisiana, 10/17/2000 to Present
Past Positions
- District Public Defender Office - First Judicial District, Caddo Parish, Shreveport, Louisiana, Chief Counsel, 1998 to 2015
- Caddo Parish Public Defender's Office, Shreveport, Louisiana, Staff Attorney, 1991 to 1998
- Garrett, Ryland & Nunnally, Associate, 1988 to 1991
- Grant Parish District Attorney's Office, Colfax, Louisiana, Associate District Attorney, 1986 to 1988
- Thirty-fifth Judicial District Court, Hon. B.G. Lutes, Colfax, Louisiana, Law Clerk, 1985 to 1986
Professional Associations
- Harry V. Booth, Henry A. Politz American Inns of Court, Master of the Bench, 2009 to 2016
- Caddo Parish Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Member, 2008 to 2015
- Attorney Panel Selection Committee, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division, Member, 2003 to Present
- Louisiana Public Defender's Association, Board of Directors, 1998 to 2010
- Louisiana Justice Coalition , President, 2006 to 2008
- Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Board of Directors, 1998 to 2005