With a focused approach to the field, Vince may be the longest-serving Mitigation Specialist in the nation, having started his practice in June of 1988 with his first death penalty case and being in continuous practice since that time. This longevity can guarantee that he is not afraid of the courtroom and has developed the inter-personal skill required of an effective advocate for your client.
Death Penalty trial preparation can be daunting and intimidating. I have contracted with individuals to assist in the development of trial notebooks, digital exhibits, and special document preparation. If you require these special legal services, I will work directly with you to make sure you get the services you need.
I have had training, as well as experience, in working with the issues of mental health and mental retardation. Each of the following seminars provided training with regard to working with a mentally retarded/mentally ill 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
6thNational 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 mentally retarded, mentally ill and autistic clients on numerous occasions, most recently, as a consulting expert (under the Stateof Texas vs. DeFreece) in the State of Texas vs. Johnny Paul Penry.
Additionally, I have had experience in working with mentally retarded, mentally ill and autistic clients on numerous occasions, most recently, as a consulting expert (under the Stateof Texas vs. DeFreece) in the State of Texas vs. Johnny Paul Penry and was an Invited Instructor at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law's Death Penalty Project from 2004-2106..