Best Dallas Criminal Lawyers

 Magazine announced it’s 2014 list of Best Lawyers In Dallas this past week and I was humbled to once again be included in the Criminal Lawyer section.  D Magazine’s 2014 listing was determined by peer review voting by local lawyers and a special panel of distinguished attorneys. The entire list can be found at www.dmagazine.com .

Over the years I have noted certain qualities in the best Dallas Criminal lawyers I have worked with both as a criminal lawyer and as a former prosecutor. Here is my short list of common traits I have observed:

1. The Client Comes First. The client’s interest always comes first. The best criminal lawyers have the client’s best interest in every move they make. Some criminal lawyers will try to move a case quickly after being paid by taking the prosecutors first offer. Taking the first offer may be the right thing to do in certain cases, but some lawyers just want to move a case because they don’t want to put a lot of work into it. Putting your client’s interest first means that the lawyer must go the extra yard and not always taking the easiest way out.

2. Be Realistic With the Client. This requires the ability to speak with absolute candor. It means the lawyer must always explain the good and the bad the could come with every decision that has to be made when navigating through the criminal justice system. A major complaint from criminal defendants is ” My lawyer promised me a certain outcome.” Some criminal lawyers will make unrealistic promises to the client in order to get paid a fee. This type of behavior only hurts the client. A citizen facing an criminal accusation needs an attorney who will shoot straight with them and give them an honest opinion of what they are facing no matter how bad the news may be.

3. Great Trial Lawyers.The best criminal lawyers are very good trial lawyers. Obviously not every case will go to trial but if no other solution can be found then the client needs a very good trial lawyer. Also if a prosecutor is negotiating with a criminal lawyer who has a good reputation as a trial lawyer it will always inures to the clients benefit. A prosecutor, like a good criminal lawyer, is always sizing up the opponent. “Do I really want to try this case against this guy?” I know when I was a prosecutor it factored into my decisions. Not everyone wants to admit it but it is true.

4. Good Relationships with Prosecutors. The best criminal lawyers have good relationships with prosecutors. This means they have the diplomatic skills to advocate for the client without infuriating the other side. Criminal cases can get very emotional for both sides and it can be easy to offend a prosecutor if you take the wrong approach. Having good relationships with prosecutors and knowing how to effectively advocate your position is extremely important. Prosecutors have to respect the criminal lawyer and believe the criminal lawyer is some one they can trust. This is very important when the criminal lawyer is trying to convince a prosecutor that a case should be dismissed, reduced , or No Billed at the grand jury.