Caroline Amelia Simone

Being a trusted criminal defense attorney is extremely important to me. I believe in fighting for my clients and helping people and families through challenging situations. I strive to earn the trust and respect of my clients so that we can work together to achieve the best possible outcome. I was a prosecutor for years and now use the experience I gained to effectively and successfully represent defendants. I am Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I have been recognized by my peers as a Super Lawyer Rising Star. However, my greatest honor comes in the form of pleased clients who I have had the provilege of seeing through some of the most difficult days of their lives.

My favorite part of being a lawyer has always been going to trial because I'm a true competitor and have been all of my life. As an athlete, I learned how to perform under pressure. Now, trial is like game day was for me when I was an athlete. I may still coach little kids and play some golf, but being a trial lawyer is the closest thing I've ever found to being a competitive athlete, and I savor the days I get to spend fighting for my clients in the courtroom.

I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and played competitive softball, basketball, and volleyball for many years. I graduated high school from St. Teresa's Academy, and then moved to Texas for college. I attended Trinity University in San Antonio where I was an NCAA athlete, playing second base on the softball team. I also bartended on the Riverwalk and interned at the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, which made for an eclectic collegiate experience. 

I earned a scholarship to go to law school at Southern Methodist University, so I moved to Dallas upon graduation from Trinity. It was a hard time to be a sports fan at SMU, so I played plenty of intramurals and participated in mock trials and moot court contests to fulfill my desire for individual competition. I was also fortunate enough to be a student attorney in the Criminal Defense Clinic at SMU. During the summers, I went back to KC to work for John O'Connor, who taught me a great deal about being a defense attorney in both federal and state courts. Mr. O'Connor told me that I would never be satisfied being second string and in order to gain experience and build my own reputation, I needed to be a prosecutor before being a defense lawyer. I did eventually take his advice. But immediately upon graduation from SMU, I worked at The Wright Firm for a few months doing criminal defense work and some family law. It wasn't long before I was hired on as a prosecutor in the Denton County District Attorney's Office. I remained there for more than four years and spent a great deal of time in the courtroom where I got extensive hands-on experience in prosecuting criminal cases. Knowing exactly what it takes to successfully prosecute a criminal case has provided me with priceless insight into strategies for defending my current clients against said prosecutions. I now know what my opponents (prosecutors) are thinking and feeling, and that is always an advantage.

I left the DA's Office to join Rick Hagen as a partner in his criminal defense practice. In my years working with Rick, I gained amazing experience both in and out of the courtroom. We went to trial far more often than the average defense attorneys and we earned some very good results for our clients. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the recovery process for many young men and women who came to our firm looking for help and suffering from addiction. Rick's strategy for helping people through these types of situations is one that I admire and draw upon when working with my current clients.

In 2013, I began my own criminal defense practice and I've been blessed to have such rewarding experiences and success in representing people charged with crimes.