James Smith is a native Texan and was born in Beaumont Texas but has lived all over the world. He graduated law school in November 1976 and he clerked for Judge Kenneth Pacetti during his last year of law school and upon graduation. He also worked for the law firm of Hutchison & Martin in their trial division. He has tried cases consisting of insurance defense, personal injury, state and federal criminal matters, capital murder cases, and has been representing inmates before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for over 20 years. He was asked to work on a pilot program for Harris County as an attorney for the mentally ill charged with criminal matters and this pilot program was so successful it was eventually turned into the Harris County Public Defenders Office.
Credentials:
Licensed to practice law and been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1976. I was an associate with Hutchinson and Martin for two years and have been self- employed with my own law practice since 1981. Associate Judge at Spring Valley, Texas July 1994 and I have been the Presiding Judge since 2006.
- Licensed to practice in all Federal Courts in the State of Texas since 1978;
- Licensed to practice before the 5th Circuit of Appeals of New Orleans since 1981;
- Licensed to practice before the 11th Circuit of Appeals of Atlanta since 1981;
- Member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 1990;
- Member of Texas Trial Lawyers Association since 1990;
- Member of National Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 1990;
- Member of College of the State Bar of Texas since 1991.
Tried cases in Federal Courts in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Brownsville, Del Rio Texas, New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Kansas City, KS; Memphis, TN; Oklahoma City, OK.
Specialties:
- Paroles
- Parole Revocation
- Criminal Law
- White-Collar Crime
- DWI
- Murder
- Assault
- Drug
…among others.
Legal Articles:
How to Deal With The Three Headed Dragon of Parole in The State of Texas. Speech given January 16, 2001; Houston Bar Association.
Parole and Your Client, August 13, 2003; Houston Criminal Trial Lawyers Association
Representing Inmates with Parole Problems in Misdemeanor Court, August 2005.
Parole Laws and Parole Policy on Release of Inmates; February7, 2007. Speech to the Harris County Bail Bond Association.
Press Releases:
