Waco Appeals Lawyer Specializing in Post-Conviction Relief

Post-Conviction Cases Are Complex and Require Specialized Knowledge

If you have been looking for a Waco appeals lawyer, you probably found out that few lawyers handle post-conviction cases. It is a specialized and complex area of law and one that most lawyers have no desire to learn. The preparation of an appeal in Waco, TX, requires a lot of time doing research and writing, and many lawyers will tell you they gave that up after they graduated from law school.

The Right Waco Appeals Lawyer Can Mean the Difference Between Going Home or Staying in Prison

When our Waco appeals lawyer, Walter Reaves, started practicing over 35 years ago, there were only a handful of lawyers who handled appeals and writs of habeas corpus. Most lawyers were more than happy to refer their clients to other attorneys after they had been convicted. However, as the legal market has become more crowded, there are now more la

waco appeals lawyer for post-conviction relief in Texas

wyers who are willing to take on these cases. Some see it as easy - you don't have to go to court and can do most of the work in your office. Just because you know how to operate a computer doesn't make you qualified to handle an appeal, though.

Walter learned early in his career just how important a good lawyer was in the appellate process. He was one of the attorneys in a multiple-defendant case, and all the attorneys went to New Orleans to argue their cases. After the argument, one of the lawyers mentioned they would have never raised one of the claims he raised - which was that the evidence was legally insufficient. As it turned out, we ended up winning that claim, and the court found my client not guilty. All the other defendants lost and had to stay in prison for years. That was an eye-opening experience to realize that if she had had a different lawyer, she would have ended up serving years in prison.

The Odds Are Against You - Make Sure You Take Your Best Shot

The one thing you must understand is that the odds are stacked against you once you are convicted. The system is designed to preserve convictions and ensure that only the most serious errors result in a reversal. While the statistics change from year to year - and even between courts - relief is granted in only 8-15% of the cases appealed. The statistics are even lower for writs of habeas corpus - somewhere between 1-3%. That means the vast majority of defendants lose on appeal.

Not only are the odds stacked against you, but the system is also designed to give you only one shot at getting relief. That means you want to make that one shot count by getting the most qualified and experienced lawyer.

No lawyer can guarantee you will win your case; if they do, you need to find another lawyer. However, the right Waco appeals lawyer can maximize your chances of winning.

What You Need To Know About Me

Looking back, I was destined to become a criminal defense lawyer from the beginning. Long before I became a lawyer I had a desire to see that everyone is treated fairly and got upset over what I saw as injustice. I think that seed was first planted when I read about the way we treated other races, and the second class citizenship they had, and struggled to understand how anyone could condone that (something I still can't comprehend or understand). In my teenage years, I veered to the far left on social issues, which drove my conservative father crazy. I thought he was going to have a heart attack when I told him I wanted to work for the American Civil Liberties Union. I never did that, but around my second year in college, I realized that I wanted to go to law school so I would be able to fight for justice through the legal system.

I was fortunate to clerk for an older lawyer when I was in law school who did some criminal defense work. I quickly discovered that I loved this area of law; it gave me an opportunity to utilize my passion for justice. When I graduated from law school I didn't follow the traditional path of most criminal defense lawyers. That means I didn't go to work for a District Attorney's office; I couldn't see myself representing the State against the individual. Instead of going to the District Attorney's office, I opened my own office. My first trial was within a couple of months of being licensed. I represented a couple of skydivers who had been charged with criminal trespass after skydiving off a skyscraper. Not only did I win the case, I was mentioned in a magazine article about the case. I was hooked, and slowly started handling criminal cases, and that soon was my primary practice area. I became Board Certified in Criminal Law as soon as I could, which was after I had been in practice for 5 years. When it became available, I also became certified in Criminal Appellate law.

It's now been over 35 years; over those years I have had the privilege of helping hundreds of people who have been accused of crimes. In doing so, I’ve developed a statewide reputation by working with organizations across the State, as well as writing and speaking at continuing legal education programs. I am also one of the few lawyers in Texas with membership in the Academy of Forensic Sciences, which allows me to stay up to date on the ways science is being used in the criminal justice system.

In addition to Board certified, I also have the highest rating given by the two national ranking systems, Martindale-Hubbell, and Avvo, and in the case of the 5.0 AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, have maintained that ranking for over 20 years.

Hire A Waco Appeals Lawyer Who Other Lawyers Refer Clients To

We have been handling appeal cases for over thirty-five years and have been recognized by other lawyers as an authority in this area. If you called another lawyer in Waco about an appeal, chances are pretty high that they gave you our name. We have been successful in all types of cases, all the way up to capital murder. We have also been asked to present on a number of occasions to continuing legal education programs and even taught appeals and post-conviction procedures at Baylor Law School for several years.

A good Waco appeals lawyer in Texas must also stay current on the current issues being decided; not only do we do that, but we also write a section of the State Bar of Texas General Practice section on recent case decisions.

If you want to discuss pursuing an appeal in Waco, TX, or you want to hire us to handle your appeal or application for habeas corpus, give us a call at 254-296-0020 or tell us more by filling out the contact form on this page.

Waco Appeals Lawyer Specializing in Post-Conviction Relief

Post-Conviction Cases Are Complex and Require Specialized Knowledge

Cases We Handle

Criminal Defense

DWI

Expunction & Nondisclosure

Appeals and Post-conviction

For Lawyers Only

The Right Waco Appeals Lawyer Can Mean the Difference Between Going Home or Staying in Prison

The Odds Are Against You - Make Sure You Take Your Best Shot

What You Need To Know About Me

Hire A Waco Appeals Lawyer Who Other Lawyers Refer Clients To