I am a Mitigation Specialist currently in practice based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. I have been so engaged since June 1988. I have vast experience in all levels of criminal homicide cases, ranging from Intoxication Manslaughter to Capital Murder and other State and Federal crimes . The main emphasis of my practice are Murder and Capital Murder (death penalty eligible and waived) as well as Federal pre-authorization work-ups, of which I have been actively involved in well over 275 cases. I have accepted court appointments from State District and Superior Courts, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Nevada Supreme Courts, and Federal and Military Courts. I have worked, as well as consulted, in cases in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Florida.
I have been appointed by various courts as an expert regarding sentencing determination issues including, mitigation, future dangerousness, recidivism rates, classification issues, and the development of mitigation evidence based on trauma, neglect, and mental illness. I have testified concerning jury selection issues in my capacity as a Mitigation Specialist, as well as assisted in jury selection in over 175 felony cases in State and Federal Courts. I have been appointed, as well as retained, and have worked pro bono in several pre-trial and habeas proceedings, both at the State and Federal levels. I have mentored those seeking to become Mitigation Specialists as well as taught 2L's and 3Ls as part of a Criminal Clinical program.
I have been working in the capital crimes and death penalty arena for 33 years and have a proven track record of success. I use that experience to help you down a path to the results you need. I think it is also important to realize, and to be upfront about my trial record, that I have also lost some clients to the executioner's gurney. I will provide details of the latter cases upon a good showing and request. I will also provide a list of cases that either received a life sentence or a lesser included conviction after a capital trial. The number of cases settled before a trial has been voluminous, No Federal pre-authorization case I have participated in has resulted in a decision by the U.S. Attorney nor the Attorney General to seek death.
I have had training, as well as experience, in working with the issues of mental health and intellectual disability. Each of the following seminars provided training with regard to working with a mentally ill/intellectual disabled client:
TCDLA Capital Murder Seminar
Galveston, Texas
March 2002
TCDLA Capital Murder Seminar
Houston, Texas
March 2001
Texas Defender Services Mitigation Seminar
Dallas, Texas
April, 2001
NITA Habeas Training Seminar
Houston, Texas
2001
Federal Habeas Seminar
Habeas Assistance Training Counsel
Administrative Office, United States Court
Denver, Colorado
State Habeas Training Seminar
Habeas Assistance Training Counsel
Administrative Office, United States Court
Austin, Texas
Mental Retardation Update
Center For American and International Law
Austin, Texas
Third Annual Mental Health and the Criminal Law Seminar
Habeas Assistance Training Counsel
Administrative Office, United States Courts
Atlanta, GA
Capital Trial Advocacy
“Persuading the Jury that your
Clientis Not a Future Danger”
The Center for American and International Law
Plano, Texas
January 17, 2003
Capital Murder Trial Training
Georgia Indigent Defense Council/GACDL
Jekyll Island, GA
February 6-9, 2003
Federal Habeas Corpus Training
U.S. Court Administration/HAT
August 19-23, 2004
St. Louis, MO
Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Annual Criminal Defense Seminar
January 7-8, 2005
TCDLA/CDLP Forensic Seminar
September 22-23, 2005
Dallas, Texas
Third National Forensic Evidence and the Criminal Law Seminar
January 26-29, 2006
St. Anthony Wyndham Hotel
San Antonio, TX
Fourth National Forensic Evidence and the Criminal Law Seminar
January 18-21, 2007
Marriot New Orleans at the Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
Life in the Balance 2007
March 10-13, 2007
The Fairmont Hotel
Dallas, TX
Capital Defense Training
National Consortium for Capital Defense Training
May 10-12, 2007
Center for American and International Law
Plano, TX
Mental Health and Mental Retardation Law
December 14, 2007
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
Convicting the Innocent
April 4, 2008
Texas Tech University School of Law
Lubbock, TX
Forensics
October 23-24, 2008
TCDLA
Dallas, TX
6th National Forensics and the Criminal Law
January 7-10, 2010
Hilton Bayfront Hotel
San Diego, California
Fourth National Seminar on Mental Health
and the Criminal Law
January 13-16, 2011
Royal Sonesta Hotel
New Orleans, LA
Eighth National Seminar on the Development and
Integration of Mitigation Evidence
March 31-April 2, 2011
Drake Hotel
Chicago, IL
Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program Training
April 2013
Hotel Derek
Houston, Texas
13th Annual Forensics and Innocence for Students
October 1-2, 2015
Crowne Plaza Downtown
Dallas, Texas
Bryan R. Schechmeister
Death Penalty College
July 28 - August 2, 2018
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
ARC, Inc.'s Houston Mitigation Training
December 6 - 8, 2019
Texas Southern University
Houston, Texas
Virtual Hat Training
The Current State of Intellectual Disability Litigation in Capital Cases
Habeas Assistance Training Counsel
Administrative Office, United States Court
Additionally, I have had experience in working with intellectually disabled, mentally ill and autistic clients on numerous occasions, including as a non-testifying, consulting expert in State of Texas vs. Johnny Paul Penry, and I was an Invited Instructor at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law's Death Penalty Project from 2004-2106..
Due to the nature of this work, I cannot always answer the phone. Please feel free to leave a message and I will receive an email immediately with your message and return your call at the earliest opportunity, usually within an hour.