|
It
is my belief that every client deserves personalized, professional
and aggressive representation. At the Mullen Law Office, we
fight for your rights so you don't have to.
Lisa Mullen
Attorney at Law |
 |
As a former Chief and Senior Assistant District Attorney,
Lisa Mullen has the background, ability, and knowledge to
provide her clients with aggressive legal protection and representation.
Her philosophy is simple but too often forgotten in the courts
today: YOU ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. Because
she believes in knowing each of her clients personally and
their cases thoroughly, she is selective in the cases she
accepts. She takes the time to handle each case with the hard
work, investigation, and dedication every client should expect
and demand.
She have successfully defended clients in all
types of criminal cases, including Capital Murder, Felonies,
and Misdemeanor cases in State and Federal Courts as well
as all levels of Appellate Courts. With twenty-five years
experience in the legal community, she proudly stands on her
reputation for being tough and professional.
Because of her extensive experience in the criminal
court system, she is able to handle releases from jail, bond
reductions, all levels of felony cases from homicide, sexual
assault, child sexual assault, drug cases, juvenile cases,
all misdemeanor offenses, including DWI, as well as all level
of Appeals.
She also provides personalized representation in all areas of civil law including divorce, child support, and personal injury cases.
If you seek personalized, professional, and experienced representation, contact our office for an appointment.
|
| Criminal
Defense Trial Attorney Lisa Mullen has successfully won cases in the areas of: |
| Federal
–
The Federal government also has laws, and breaking
these laws is considered a federal crime. The DEA,
ATF, Customs and/or the FBI can investigate these
crimes. Crimes that can be considered Federal are
interstate and drug trafficking, weapons, homicide,
robbery/theft, organized crime and crimes against
children (child abduction, and domestic and international
parental kidnappings). more |
| Criminal
Appellate/Writs - A
criminal appeal is not a re-trial of the case and
the process can take some time. In a criminal case
once the defendant is found guilty of a crime at
the trial level he or she has the right to appeal.
To appeal the findings of the judge or jury, the
defendant must generally file a written notice of
appeal within thirty days of the decision. more |
| Felony
Offenses – A felony crime is more serious
than a misdemeanor, but the same offense could be
considered either a misdemeanor or a felony depending
on the degree of the offense. Felony crimes are
serious offenses punishable by a heavy sentence.
Crimes that are commonly considered to be felonies
include grand theft, burglary, robbery, kidnapping,
assault, sexual assault, possession and/or delivery
of a controlled substance, and capital murder. more |
| DWI
Arrest – Texas attorney Lisa Mullen has
extensive experience in representing individuals
accused of misdemeanor DWI , felony DWI and DWI-related
charges of intoxication assault and intoxication
manslaughter. Over the course of many years, they
have defended against DWI and DWI-related prosecutions
throughout Texas. more
|
| Misdemeanor
Offenses – Misdemeanor crimes are less
serious crimes than felony offenses and are handled
in the county court system. Crimes that are commonly
considered to be misdemeanors include assault, prostitution,
drunk driving, public intoxication and theft/burglary.
However, a first offense misdemeanor crime can become
a felony after repeated offenses. more
|
| Juvenile
Law – Instead of being charged with a specific
crime, juveniles are usually charged with being
a delinquent or engaging in delinquent behavior.
The objective of the juvenile court system is to
rehabilitate the juvenile.
more |
| Expungement/Seal
Record – When a person wants to expunge
their record they can petition the court in which
the case was handled. Expungement means that all
records associated with case are destroyed, including
the arrest. Cases that may be expunged are as follows:
case is dismissed and/or No Billed (if a felony
case there is a statute of limitations), Exonerated
(found not guilty), and Class "C" misdemeanors.
more |
|
| DWI / DUI FACTS AND INFORMATION |
A Driving While Intoxicated Charge is Serious!
Getting a DWI is serious! You need to take it seriously. So should your lawyer. Even a conviction for a first-time DWI can carry serious consequences, not the least of which is $1,000 or more per year for three years just to keep your driver’s license.
If you are like the vast majority of those who get arrested for DWI, this is the ONLY way that you would ever have come into contact with the criminal justice system. Only because DWI laws exist do many people who would never dream of breaking the law find themselves arrested, photographed, fingerprinted, and generally “treated like criminals.” This IS serious business. And once you have posted your bond, the whole process is really just beginning.
The Driving While Intoxicated Laws
A first-time DWI is a “Class B Misdemeanor.” This means it carries a criminal penalty of up to 6 months in the county jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
A second DWI is a “Class A Misdemeanor.” This grade of offense carries up to a year in county jail and up to a $4,000 fine.
A third DWI is a “Third Degree Felony,” which carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. That is penitentiary time, not county jail time.
A conviction for any of these also carries a mandatory driver’s license suspension of at least a year.
Administrative License Revocation
Since 1995, the State of Texas has had ALR. If you have been arrested for DWI, you know the police officer serves on you a “Notice of Suspension / Temporary Driving Permit” and takes your license away from you.
From the date of your arrest, you then have 15 days to request a hearing on what will otherwise be a mandatory driver’s license suspension from at least 90 days for failing a breath test, to at least 180 days for refusing to take a breath test. If this is not your first DWI arrest, then the suspension times increase dramatically.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GET A HEARING REQUESTED AND NOT JUST LET THE 15 DAYS GO BY!!
The ALR hearing is an opportunity that should be exploited. You have
the opportunity to make the arresting officer appear at the hearing
and give testimony. This could come in handy at a future trial. If you
took and failed a breath test, then you have the opportunity to make
the breath test operator and technical supervisor show up as well. And
if you request their presence and they don’t show up, you win. If
they do show up and you do not prevail, at least you have some
testimony you may be able to use later in fighting your DWI case.
The Collateral Consequences
“Collateral consequences” are those not specifically outlined in
the criminal codes, but nonetheless attach to a DWI conviction from
other sources.
I already mentioned the driver’s license “surcharge” of at least
$1,000 per year for three years just to keep your license. That is a
“collateral consequence” and a bad one at that. This surcharge was
enacted by the 2003 Legislature.
A DWI conviction carries other consequences as well. For instance, if
your insurance company finds out you are convicted of DWI, then it
will no doubt drop you and you will have to get “high risk”
insurance at a vastly higher cost. Car rental companies probably will
not rent a car to you if they know you are convicted of DWI. If you
have a job that requires you to be under a “fleet insurance
policy,” such as with a trucking company, you may lose your job if
the insurer finds out you have a DWI and drops you. The list goes on.
The Moral of the Story: FIGHT!
I go into a DWI case with the mindset that
we are going to fight it. I collect all the information I can so that
you can be in the best position possible to make the crucial decision
whether you want to go to trial or not.
There are two reasons I go into every DWI case with the intent of
fighting it: (1) the consequences I have already outlined above are
severe – too severe, really; and (2) DWI cases are WINNABLE.
Remember those tests you were given on the roadside? Here is the
breakdown on the accuracy of those tests as determined by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (the agency that dreamed them up
in the first place):
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (the “eye test”): 77% accurate
The Walk & Turn (the “walk the line” test): 68% accurate
The One Leg Stand (“count to 30”): 65% accurate
The effective criminal defense lawyer with experience trying DWI cases
can make the jury understand this and thus be more apt to discount the
“field sobriety tests,” as they are called.
As you have probably guessed, most of the state’s witnesses in a DWI
case are going to be police officers. These officers have testified
time and time again in DWI trials. Effective cross-examination of
these officers requires experience with DWI and the issues surrounding
these particular cases (such as the field sobriety tests). But the
good news is that when your attorney has this experience and
knowledge, you almost always have a chance to win. more
information
|
| LISA MULLEN |
| Attorney
at Law |
|
3149 Lackland Road #102
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
817-332-8900
|
|
Handling
cases in Tarrant and Dallas Counties...
Aledo, Arlington, Azle, Bedford, Cedar Hill, Cedar
Park, Colleyville, The Colony, Corinth, Corpus Christie,
Dallas, Denton, Euless, Fort Worth, Haltom City, Hickory
Creek, Hurst, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Keller, Mansfield,
Red Oak, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Roanoke, Saginaw,
The Colony, Trophy Club, Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford,
White Settlement, Willow Park. |
|
Not
Certified by The Texas Board of Legal Specialization
|
Design
by Globalmr.com
|
Reproduction
of any material on this site without written permission is strictly
prohibited.
© Copyright 2004 LISA MULLEN, Attorney at Law ~ All Rights Reserved |
|
