Stephen Seabolt Duplantis

Stephen Duplantis is a Dallas criminal defense attorney and Senior Trial Attorney at Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys. With more than three decades of legal experience, he has served as a public defender, private defense attorney, and prosecutor, giving him a comprehensive understanding of how criminal cases are investigated, negotiated, prosecuted, and tried.

Mr. Duplantis spent more than 10 years with the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, representing people accused of crimes and developing extensive courtroom experience. He later worked in private criminal defense, including operating his own Dallas practice.

From 2022 to 2026, he served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Over the course of his career, he has acted as primary counsel in more than 30 jury trials and has both prosecuted and defended murder cases. His experience on both sides of the courtroom helps him anticipate prosecution strategies, identify weaknesses in the government’s evidence, and prepare each case with trial in mind.

Stephen earned his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1992, where he participated on the Moot Court Team. He began practicing in Los Angeles, working first with a law firm and later as a solo practitioner. He earned his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 1989.

A South Louisiana native who grew up on a sugar farm and cattle ranch, Stephen brings practical judgment, extensive criminal law experience, and a seasoned trial perspective to clients facing criminal charges in Dallas, Rockwall County, and throughout North Texas.

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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