Of Counsel
A long and distinguished career as both a police officer and a prosecutor allows Jimmy to bring a unique level of expertise in the area of criminal defense.
Originally from New York State, Jimmy began his legal career as a police officer for the City of Dallas in 1988. Not long after becoming a police officer, Jimmy decided to attend law school. In 1991, Jimmy attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) School of Law, while continuing to work for the police department. Jimmy graduated law school in 1994, became a member of the State Bar in 1995, and continued working as a police officer until 1997.
That same year, Jimmy began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Denton County, Texas. Jimmy was one of the office's most successful trial attorneys, only losing four cases in his 11+ years as a prosecutor. In those 11 years, jimmy has tried every type case, from a traffic ticket to murder. Jimmy also maintained his Texas Peace Officer's License, continuing his career as a law enforcement officer in Texas.
Due to the complexity and focused knowledge a prosecutor must have to successfully prosecute intoxication offenses, Jimmy identified the need for a specialized position in the Denton County District Attorney's Office to prosecute these types of cases. In 2000, Jimmy wrote drafted a grant proposal that funded a DWI Prosecution Unit, which consisted of a prosecutor, an investigator and a paid intern. Jimmy was awarded the prosecutor position, which started in 2001. The Denton County District Attorney's Office was the second office in Texas to have a unit specifically focused on handling Intoxication Offenses. As the Chief Prosecutor of this felony prosecution unit, Jimmy began spending a lot of time not only training both fellow prosecutors and police officers in Denton County, but prosecutors and police officers from across the country.
In 1997, Jimmy became speaker and faculty advisor at the bi-annual Texas Prosecutor Trial Skills Course, a course that every new prosecutor attends. In addition, he was a speaker and course curriculum specialist for the Texas District and County Attorney Association (TDCAA) Intoxication Manslaughter and Investigation Trial Advocacy Course for 8 years. This program, attended by experienced prosecutors from across the nation, has been recognized as one of the best of its kind. In addition, Jimmy has taught prosecutors, police officers and defense attorney's on various topics such as Voir Dire, Direct Examination, Cross Examination, and Crossing an Expert Witness. In 2007, Jimmy left the DA's office and went into private practice.
A veteran of over 250 jury trials, Jimmy has the vast knowledge and experience needed to get you the best results in your case. Jimmy is first and foremost a trial attorney; an attorney who loves and excels in front of a jury. But he also knows that sometimes it's not in his client's best interest to go to trial. In these instances, Jimmy will leave no stone unturned to insure that you get the best result possible on your case.
Jimmy maintains memberships in many organizations across the country, and also serves as a Major in the United States Army Reserve JAG Corp. He was mobilized to active duty in January 2003 where he spent 16 months on active duty. Jimmy was sent to Tikrit, Iraq for a 6 month tour where he defended soldiers accused of misconduct. During this time, Jimmy was the lead attorney on 21 Courts Martials. For his service, Jimmy was awarded the Bronze Star, The Army Commendation Medal, The Iraqi Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Credentials and Experience
- Spent 7 and ½ years as a Dallas Police Officer and a total of 19 years as a Certified Texas Peace Officer
- Holds a Masters TCLEOSE Certification
- Certified by the State Of Texas in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests
- Spent 11yrs in the Denton County District Attorney's office
- Created and was the Chief of the Denton County DWI Prosecution Unit
- During his 7 years as Chief of the DWI Prosecution Unit, he was one of a handful of experts on intoxication for the State
- Has lectured all over the Country on topics such as Cross Examination, Standard Field Sobriety Tests and Intoxication Manslaughter
- Has provided hundreds of hours of advanced training to law enforcement
- Has tried over 200 jury trials and has handled over a thousand Intoxication Offense cases
- Has personally handled every phase of a criminal case, from arrest all the way to trial
