Cole Sumner Nettles

Cole S. Nettles is a Dallas-Fort Worth criminal defense attorney and Senior Trial Attorney at Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys. A former prosecutor, he focuses exclusively on criminal defense and has handled more than 430 criminal matters during his tenure with the firm. His practice includes extensive experience defending clients accused of driving while intoxicated (DWI), including more than 100 first-offense DWI cases.

Mr. Nettles represents individuals facing a wide range of misdemeanor and felony charges, including DWI, drug offenses, weapons charges, theft crimes, assault family violence allegations, probation violations, and other serious criminal matters. This broad criminal defense experience has provided him with substantial familiarity with the legal, procedural, and evidentiary issues that frequently arise in Texas criminal prosecutions.

Mr. Nettles has substantial experience handling DWI matters involving breath and blood testing evidence, field sobriety evaluations, repeat-offense allegations, and other complex evidentiary challenges. His approach includes carefully examining the government's evidence, evaluating law enforcement procedures, and developing defense strategies tailored to the unique circumstances of each case.

Before entering private practice, Mr. Nettles served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Kendall County Criminal District Attorney's Office in Boerne, Texas. In that role, he prosecuted a variety of criminal cases and gained firsthand insight into how prosecutors evaluate evidence, make charging decisions, negotiate resolutions, and prepare cases for trial. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant County Attorney with the Kendall County Attorney's Office, where he handled misdemeanor matters and supported county legal operations.

Drawing on experience from both prosecution and defense, Mr. Nettles works closely with clients to help them understand the legal process, evaluate their options, and make informed decisions about their cases. Mr. Nettles earned his Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2015. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2010 and was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2016.

About Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys

Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys is a criminal defense firm with a unique model: the high-touch, personalized attention of a boutique firm, backed by the resources and collective experience of a 40+ lawyer defense team.

Every client is assigned a dedicated Senior Trial Attorney who owns the defense from intake through resolution. That attorney focuses on a specific county and court — practicing there regularly and knowing the judges, the prosecutors, and the local tendencies that shape outcomes. Cases are not rotated, reassigned, or passed to junior attorneys (the firm doesn't employ any).

Behind that lead attorney is a team of forty criminal-defense lawyers with more than 1,000 jury trials between them, including attorneys Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, ten Super Lawyers honorees, ACS-CHAL Forensic DWI Lawyer-Scientists, former prosecutors, former judges, and former law-enforcement professionals, including a former FBI agent.

That structure gives clients the 40-on-1 advantage: one senior lawyer leading your case, backed by the collective knowledge of 40+ criminal-defense attorneys. It means the prosecutor is not up against one lawyer — they're up against a brain trust.

The firm's main metric is client satisfaction, which is measured using standard CSAT surveys to every client at the conclusion of the case. The firm has achieved a 98.5% client satisfaction rate based on 1,840 survey responses. The full breakdown by case type is below:

• DWI: 97.8% CSAT (781 responses)
• Assault & Domestic Violence: 99.5% CSAT (368 responses)
• Other: 98.7% CSAT (158 responses)
• Drug Charges: 98.6% CSAT (142 responses)
• Motion to Revoke Probation: 97.8% CSAT (134 responses)
• Theft & Fraud: 100% CSAT (106 responses)
• Driving Offenses: 98.7% CSAT (75 responses)
• Weapons: 98.1% CSAT (52 responses)
• Sex Offenses: 100% CSAT (24 responses)

Data from September 2022 through May 6, 2026.

The firm's 2025 trial record was 65% favorable outcomes with a 50% outright acquittal rate. A 5.0 rating on Google. More than 1,400 five-star reviews on Google, Avvo, BBB, and Martindale, an A+ BBB rating, and combined criminal-defense experience exceeding 540 years. Attorney caseloads run well below ABA recommendations. Case reviews are free. No trial fees - ever.

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