Hans T. Nielsen

I am a Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer who represents both adult clients and juvenile clients in all courts in the State of Texas. I am Board Certified in both Criminal Law and Juvenile Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. There are fewer than 25 lawyers in the over 100,000 attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas who have this dual board certification. In addition, I am also a member of the Texas Bar College. The Texas Bar College is an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best trained attorneys in Texas. In addition to maintaining high ethical standards, membership in the Texas Bar College requires that an attorney maintain at least double the amount of continuing legal education that is required of attorneys in the State of Texas.

A Wealth of Experience

I have been licensed to practice law since November 1990. For 27 years, I served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Harris County District Attorney's Office. By the end of my tenure at the District Attorney’s office, I was the Division Chief Prosecutor for the Juvenile Division. I supervised all of the prosecutors and staff in the Juvenile Division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Prior to serving as the Juvenile Division Chief, I was the Chief Prosecutor for both the 314th and the 315th juvenile district courts. As the Chief prosecutor in those juvenile courts I personally handled the most serious offenses such as capital murders, murders, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated sexual assault cases. I have personally handled over 100 Juvenile First Degree Felony cases that resulted in hearings, such as jury trials, court trials, certification hearings or a determinate transfer hearings. In addition I have also handled thousands of juvenile cases not resulting in hearings.

In addition, during my career as an Assistant District Attorney, I spent twenty years in the adult court system and I was the Chief Prosecutor for five adult criminal district courts - the 177th, 183rd, 184th, 232nd and the 339th Criminal District Courts. As the chief prosecutor in these courts I was responsible for handling the most serious cases in those courts. I have personally tried over 150 Jury Trials and numerous court trials including Death Penalty Capital Murders, Murder, other aggravated offenses such as robberies, sexual assaults and kidnappings and many drug and DWI cases. In addition, I have personally handled or supervised the handling of several thousand felony and misdemeanor cases not resulting in trial during my twenty seven year career. I also worked in the Major Offenders Division as the Auto Theft Task Force Prosecutor.

While I was Chiefing in the JuveniIe and Adult courts, I assisted and supervised other Assistant District Attorneys in numerous adult and juvenile cases and trials.

As a result of this experience and my legal expertise and knowledge of Texas Adult Criminal Law and Juvenile Law I am very familiar with the ways in which the State of Texas prosecutes cases and I am uniquely qualified to provide the best legal defense.

Drug Addiction and Recovery

I have more than a decade of experience in drug addiction and recovery as an Assistant District Attorney working in the Harris County STAR (Success Through Addiction Recovery) Adult Drug Court Program.

In addition, I have over five years of experience in juvenile drug addiction and recovery while working in the Harris County SOAR (Sobriety Over Addiction and Relapse) Juvenile Drug Court Program.

My experience in this field is invaluable in helping you or your family member in overcoming the horrible and devastating toll that drug and alcohol addiction can take on a life. I have years of experience with how to face addiction and how to handle addiction with treatment and support. I will work to guide you and/or your loved one through the legal system with your drug or alcohol case if you choose to seek rehabilitation and recovery.

Why My Prior Experience Matters

As the former chief of the Juvenile Division and the chief prosecutor in five different Harris County adult district courts and two of the three Harris County juvenile district courts I have extensive and unmatched experience in both adult and juvenile criminal cases. Since I was licensed to practice law in 1990 I have personally tried approximately 150 jury trials while employed in the Harris County District Attorney's Office. I have also assisted in the trial of multiple adult and juvenile cases with other Assistant District Attorneys in Harris County. As a chief prosecutor in five different Harris County adult district courts and two of the three Harris County juvenile district courts I have extensive and unmatched experience in both adult and juvenile criminal cases.

As a result of this extensive experience and my legal expertise I am extremely familiar with the legal system in Harris County and in Texas for both adults and juveniles charged with crimes. In addition, I am very familiar with the ways in which the District Attorney's for the State of Texas prosecute cases. Therefore, I am uniquely qualified to provide the best legal defense.

Fighting for Your Rights

I fight for the rights of all of my clients with all the resources and experience at my disposal. I am in the service of my clients at all times. The practice of law is not a hobby or a part time job to me.

In many cases a dedicated defense lawyer who has been an experienced prosecutor can help a client avoid prosecution before arrest or before a case is presented to a grand jury. Aggressive representation by a lawyer who knows the legal system can sometimes mean the difference between charges going forward and having to face serious consequences or having those charges dismissed and going home. If a case is already filed or indicted, my first approach to any criminal case is to see if it can be dismissed. If that is not possible then my goal is to minimize the consequences of a criminal charge on your life.