The Houston Criminal Trial Lawyers that Fight for the People, and Get Cases Dismissed

James Sullivan is an experienced Houston Criminal Defense Attorney. Since 1994, Sullivan has won many jury trials in the Harris County Criminal and Juvenile Courthouses in downtown Houston. Sullivan also has fought to get over 1,000 serious criminal and juvenile cases dismissed. Sullivan has a proven record of defending people from all walks of life, faiths, and countries.

Sullivan has practiced criminal law longer than many of the prosecutors and defense attorneys in Harris County have even been alive. There is no substitute for experience. Experience and having a winning trial record matter.

Sullivan graduated from Baylor University in 1990 with a degree in Journalism, the ideal degree for investigating, discovering and telling winning stories in court. In 1993, Sullivan graduated from South Texas College of Law, which is nationally recognized as one of the top law schools for trial advocacy.

Sullivan later graduated from Trial Lawyers College, which was founded in Wyoming by Gerry Spence in 1994 and remains the most selective and prestigious trial advocacy program in America. The methods taught at TLC are not taught anywhere else. The TLC graduates form an extremely unique community of the most accomplished trial lawyers across the United States.

If you need to hire a defense lawyer to represent you or a loved one, call James Sullivan at (713) 835-1194 for a free consultation for prospective clients. We only practice criminal and juvenile law.

Note: We will not cold text you nor mail you to solicit your business. We do not believe it is ethical to send unsolicited texts to someone who was just released from jail. Individuals who have just been released from jail are often in an emotionally fragile state, grappling with anxiety, fear, and confusion. Receiving unsolicited texts from defense attorneys in this state can be perceived as manipulative and predatory, taking advantage of people during their most trying times.

Reputation

Sullivan has a good reputation in the legal community. Sullivan is is very grateful for the many clients who post reviews on his AVVO and Google profiles.

The law practice of James Sullivan is devoted solely to criminal and juvenile defense. Approximately 80% of his cases involve criminal charges while the other 20% involve juvenile charges.

Felony Defense, Getting Cases Dismissed by the Grand Jury

If you are charged with a felony offense in criminal district court, Sullivan may be able to get your case no billed (dismissed) by the grand jury, but you need to hire him before or soon after your first court setting. If your felony case is dismissed by the grand jury, you may have the right to get your criminal record expunged immediately. Many of Sullivan’s clients have been able to do this within a few months of being arrested. Incredibly, Sullivan has worked to get almost 100 felony cases dismissed by the grand jury just since late 2008 and many others since 1994. These felony cases span the criminal law spectrum. Sullivan has worked to get many more felony cases dismissed by the DA prior to trial.

Personalized, Professional, Client Centered Defense

Sullivan chose to become a criminal lawyer. It was not by accident. Fighting the government and defending people come natural to him ”he was born into a diverse, dynamic family of conservative Christians and liberal social activists. Unlike many colleagues who practice criminal law, Sullivan has never prosecuted anyone and never will. That is not him. His entire career is devoted to defending people accused of crimes and delinquencies.

Sullivan intentionally maintains a manageable caseload and cannot help everyone who seeks his assistance. That is the only way to provide personalized and client centered defense. Sullivan wants his clients to have better lives and relationships. This is not possible with high caseloads.

Proven Results

Sullivan gets proven results. Since 1994, Sullivan has defended more than 3,000 people charged with every kind of criminal and juvenile case, including assault of a family member (domestic violence), theft, assault, drug crimes, robbery and murder.

Philosophy

Sullivan practices criminal law with a simple philosophy. If a client says he is not guilty, and if the prosecutor will not dismiss the charge, then Sullivan advises his client that they should fight the case at a jury trial. Unlike many other attorneys, Sullivan does not try to convince an innocent person to plead guilty. Instead, Sullivan fights for his client’s freedom and reputation.

Legal Services for a Fair Price

Sullivan offers a full range of legal services in his criminal and juvenile defense law practice. Sullivan charges separate fees on trial and non-trial cases and offers payment plans. There are no hidden fees, no hourly fees, and no fees for each court date. When you hire our firm, you will know up front exactly how much your case is going to cost you.

Cares About His Clients

Sullivan cares about his adult and juvenile clients and is concerned about their future. He counsels with clients at his office or via Zoom for at least an hour. He invests the necessary time to get to know them, their legal problem, and the story behind the story. Ultimately, a good trial lawyer knows that presenting a good story persuades a jury far better than logic. After all, people make decisions at gut level and then use their head to support it. The attorneys trained at the Trial Lawyers College get this. Even if a client is not fighting his case at trial, it is important to understand the client’s story fully in order to get the best result. Sullivan uses the same techniques to persuade the DA to dismiss cases.

Because Sullivan understands that people need to honor work and family commitments, he offers when possible afternoon, early evening and same day appointments along with free parking. Call to arrange an appointment.

Contact Attorney James Sullivan

If you are under investigation or have been charged with a crime, call Houston criminal defense attorney James Sullivan to discuss your case. Sullivan or an associate generally try to answer the phone so that you can speak to an attorney directly. They want to hear from you and to help you. Call them right now. Don’t go to court alone. Call Sullivan at (713) 835-1194 for a free phone consultation on criminal and juvenile cases only.

Board Certified in Juvenile Law

Houston Juvenile Attorney James Sullivan is also Board Certified in Juvenile Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Juvenile law is different than criminal law. Among the more than 80,000 active lawyers in Texas, there are only about 40 lawyers that are Board Certified in Juvenile Law and in private practice.

Sullivan’s path through life has given him a unique understanding of the injustices that happen to many teens, many of which are beyond their control. Because of his own teen years, Sullivan connects and empathizes with teens in ways that other attorneys simply cannot and has been instrumental in leading juveniles and young adults to have a successful future.

Bilingual

Sullivan speaks conversational Spanish, having studied Journalism, Latin American and Asian Studies at Baylor University, a nationally ranked Christian school. He graduated with honors in 1990. He then lived in Mexico City and traveled throughout Mexico prior to entering law school. In 1993, he graduated from South Texas College of Law. He and his wife Araceli have been married over 30 years and have two adult children. They worship in a local Catholic church. Sullivan serves with the Knights of Columbus and is also an Eagle Scout.

Nancy Botts

Associate Attorney Nancy Botts has been licensed since 1988 and obtained her law degree from the University of Houston. As a criminal defense attorney, Nancy Botts’ main interest is in the areas of search and seizure law and drug defense. She has good results in drug defense cases. Other Houston criminal lawyers have consulted her for years about these subjects. She aggressively defends all felony and misdemeanor drug possession and drug delivery cases. She also has a strong commitment to offering each client the best possible representation.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Robbery, Arson, Assault, Assault of a Family Member, Assault by Impeding Breathing (choking), Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Auto Theft, Burglary, Child Abuse, Credit Card Abuse, Domestic Violence, DWI, Drug Defense, Drug Possession, Drug Delivery, Employee Theft / Embezzlement, Evading Arrest, Felony, Fraud, Grand Jury, Harassment, Homicide, Manslaughter, Misdemeanor, Probation Violation, Record Sealing (Non-Disclosure), Record Expungement (Expunction), Robbery, Shoplifting, Theft, White Collar Crime, Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Certification, Juvenile Record Sealing, and Juvenile Sex Offenses.

Update: Due to Covid, James Sullivan and Nancy Botts are only working in Harris County and Fort Bend County.