Roberto M. Garcia

I am a lifelong resident of the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas, making my home in McAllen, Texas. I received my BA degree from Texas A & I University in Kingsville, Texas in 1972 and my Juris Doctor degree from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas in 1976. I was licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas  in May 1976, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in March 1977 and the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in June 2003. In 2006 I was trained by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service as a Labor Arbitrator. I entered the United States Army National Guard in 1970 while in college and was honorably discharged in 1976 with the rank of SP 4.

Throughout my legal career I have actively represented law enforcement officers/agents and their respective unions on a contract basis at the municipal, county, state and federal levels. The law enforcement unions include the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA), Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) and the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) Local 3307. I was instrumental in forming and establishing the first police officer union in McAllen, Texas through the South Texas Organization of Police associated with the International Union of Police Associations (STOP/IUPA), and in spearheading successful civil service and collective bargaining referendums. I have successfully negotiated police collective bargaining agreements in the cities of McAllen, Harlingen, Weslaco and Brownsville, Texas. I have represented law enforcement unions and officers/agents in all forums including arbitration tribunals, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), as well as state and federal courts. I have represented numerous law enforcement officers/agents before independent hearing officres and arbitrators in arbitrations and hearings before commissions concerning issues such as use of force, officer involved shootings, fleet accidents, alcohol/drug abuse, demotion, discharge/removal and suspensions.

I have extesnive experience as an employee advocate in handling internal investigations, critical incident responses, officer involved shootings, death in custody matters, federal suspension and removal proceedings, disciplinary appeals, arbitrations, grievances and EEOC and MSPB matters. I represent federal officers/agents in Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Investigations, Federal Grand Jury Civil Rights Invesigations as well as investigations before the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS/OIG). United States Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility (CBP/OPR). I also represent municipal police, county deputy sheriffs, county deputy constables and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers before their respective Office of Professional Responsibility, Disciplinary Review Boards, Shooting Review Boards, Civil Service Commissions and Independent Hearing Examiners.