Andrew & Andrew on Texas Criminal Defense

If there is one word to describe Porscha Brown, its advocate. She is a felony deputy-chief in the Harris County Public Defender’s Office overseeing eight other attorneys. She has a full docket that includes murder, sex assault and aggravated offenses. This would be almost too much work for any other attorney to handle but not Porscha: she also is on the board for the Managed Assigned Counsel in Ha...

Defenders across the State have been winning some very important cases lately. The Andrews discuss some of those wins and how they potentially change the Criminal Justice System as a whole. Great work Defenders!

Lawyers have it tough. Society and Pop Culture like to portray us as impenetrable fortresses but thats far from the truth. We have a terribly tough job (even though it can be immensely rewarding). If you are struggling at this moment, please seek help. The National Suicide and Crisis lifeline can be reached at 988 . Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, or TLAP, is here to help. Join us as we discuss...

The Andrews sit down today and speak with Jake Greenberg. Jake, at one time, represented Defendants who were already incarcerated. Many Defenders don’t know what happens to their clients after they plea. Often, those Defendants in prison go on to commit offenses while incarcerated. Its important to note that Texas aggressively prosecutes these cases. If any of our listeners have dealt with the Spe...

The Andrews discuss DWI investigations and defense with Lisa Martin from TexasDWIExpert.com. She is renowned across the state as an expert in the investigation of DWIs and administration of the SFSTs. Lisa is a former police officer who spent her career enforcing DWI laws; now she is still helping police officers become better by consistently pointing out where they’re wrong in their cases. Listen...

The Andrews are extremely blessed to speak with a nationally renowned trial lawyer. Leon Haley, Jr. has been practicing for 40 years in the Tarrant County (Fort Worth) area. Listen in as he discusses his approach to trial strategy, finding your story, and how to pick a jury. This episode is chock full of great information every one of us can incoporate into our trial practices. Contact Leon by cal...

The Andrews discuss the Sex Offender Registry and some of the collateral consequences of registration (or failure to do so). If you’re playing along at home, the registration requirements are located in CCP Section 62.

Its just the Andrews on this episode discussing what we’ve learned when taking on new clients or how to discuss cases during the initial consultation. Listen in and let us know what your tips are on any of our socials or through our website texascrimdefense.com

The Andrews have the high privilege of speaking with two of the best trial lawyers in the State on this episode. Veronica Veyhl and Phillip Hall walk us through a quick primer on what psychodrama is and why you should use it on every trial case you have. Also, we’ll discuss the many different trial training schools available across the country. Links below will direct you to the schools these grea...

The Andrews discuss how great deals for your clients can sometimes come back to haunt them in the future. Decker has a case where a client got a fantastic deal in the past but because of Tanner v. State , 335 S.W.3d 784 (Tex. App. 2011), that fantastic deal is being used to turn an otherwise misdemeanor case to a 25-to-life habitual felony. Listen in as we discuss this case and its ramifications....

The Andrews discuss a sensitive topic in today’s episode. Gun laws are rapidly changing the legal landscape, let alone everyday life in this country. We try to keep our personal opinions out of this and just report the facts but we’re also human (regardless of what prosecutors say) and feel deeply for the health and safety of our families and clients. With all the changes, one law in particular is...

After taking an episode off, the Andrews are back for another show filled with great information for our defenders. Today we discuss Openings and Closings and how you should be developing the theory and theme of your case. Listen in to some great pointers from Decker and, as always, feel free to contact us with topic/guest ideas.

The Andrews brave the winter storm by discussing the parole considerations of 3(g), which is now 42A.054. This can be tricky for defenders to advise their clients about, so please pay attention and adjust your advice accordingly (if needed).

The Andrews discuss one of those areas that many of the defenders out there will have dealt with, though maybe not directly. Today we cover extraditions: what are they, what code section governs them, and procedurally what do you need to know. Listen in as we go over this important criminally related hearing.

The Andrews start the new year off in earnest with Javier Martinez who will school us on effective legal writing. This won’t be like law school, we assure you. In fact, Javier’s skill in persuasive legal writing has been honed over the years with practical legal experience, he has worked with some legendary trial attorneys and has made a name for himself as an effective litigator. Defenders will p...

The Andrews hope you all have a great holiday season! Today’s episode focuses not on the penal code but on the struggles we all face as attorneys. If you need help, please reach out to someone. The National Suicide Hotline # is 988 Click Here for the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program Need Motivation?

On this episode, The Andrews seek to dazzle you with Article 17 of the CCP. Should be a good time!

The Andrews are talking allocutions on this episode. Both of us have experienced our fair share of heart wrenching statements from victims after particularly difficult cases. In those instances, its a no-brainer that we should hear from a victim. But did you know that any case where there’s a “victim” could have an allocution (or victim impact statement). Look at CCP 42.03 and follow along with us...

The Andrews have yet again been assisted by Kasia Cristobal, reference librarian at the UT Tarleton Law Library and friend of the show. We have come up with our topic today by reading an article on Texas’ Constitutional Carry written in the New York Times. While we don’t address the specifics of the article, it did lead us to discussing the fine line (if there is one) between Deadly Conduct (a mis...

The Andrews discuss a recent research paper sent to us by friend-of-the-show Kasia Cristobal. Its an eye opening report on the effect jury selection has on the outcome of a trial. As defenders, we all know that voir dire is the most important phase of trial; often your case is won in this initial stage. This report, “Examining Bias in Jury Selection for Criminal Trials in Dallas County” provides h...

The Andrews talk today with Neil Krugh, a solo defender practicing primarily in Harris County. We discuss with him the bonuses of practicing in the largest county in Texas and third largest in the Nation. This episode covers everything from how to get on “the wheel”, the difference between appointed and “free world” attorneys, and jamming to Buble while defending those who need it most. To contact...

What a treat for ya’ll today as the Andrews discuss a fellowship program with the Potter and Armstrong Public Defender and Managed Assigned Cases Office. Listen in as the Managed Assigned Cases Director, Vaavia Rudd (otherwise known as “V”) explains her role in the office, the general duties of her office and their attorneys, and this wonderful new fellowship program they have started. We’ll also...

The Andrews sit down with James Luster, a founding partner of Cofer Luster, to discuss how to grow from a solo firm to a partnership with multiple associates, partners, and support staff. Some of our listeners may have aspirations to grow beyond your current size; this is a great episode to highlight how one of Texas’ best defenders did just that. To find out more about James or to contact his fir...

The Andrews welcome back Jeff Shearer to the show to discuss a huge win in the 2nd Court of Appeals. He’ll take us through some of the procedure of his appeal, his argument, and how his win is kind of a backwards one. After Jeff shares, we regret to inform you that the Andrews are not infallible. I know…shocking. Mr. Decker will share how the 2nd Court of Appeals disagreed with his argument. As yo...