Attorney David Lawrence Traylor's Legal Cases

Criminal defense

Resisting Arrest - Dismissed

Jun 02, 2017

OUTCOME: Dismissed

Client was charged with resisting arrest. Officer's bodycam video shows the client clearly resisted arrest. However we showed the officer never had proper reason to contact client in the first place an ... d the client knew that. In fact, that's one of the main reasons the client resisted arrest. Police must have valid reason for contact. Though the officer had a stated reason for contact, it simply wasn't legally sufficient. Many prosecutors recognize when they are looking at a bad case and will offer a fair resolution. Rather than press the matter to trial or a motion to suppress, we agreed to dispose of the case via a conditional dismissal. The client would perform community service by providing a food donation to the North Texas Food Bank. Oddly, because peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and stores well for long periods, the food bank prefers peanut butter to canned goods. So a sizable peanut butter donation was made with a receipt provided to the State and the client's case was dismissed. Our outcome was a win for the hungry people of North Texas, a conservation of resources for local taxpayers, vindication for our client and a solid example of a prosecutor doing the right thing.(It's important to note; a prosecutor's duty is not merely to secure convictions but to seek justice. And one of the duties of all officers of the court is to respect and preserve judicial resources. Dismissing a deficient case isn't being soft on crime, it's being responsible in a position of public trust. It accomplishes both of the above objectives by reaching a fair outcome for all while avoiding wasting a court's time.)

Criminal defense

Failure to Stop and Render Aid - Dismissed

Mar 24, 2017

OUTCOME: Dismissed

Client came to us on a referral from several family members with a Failure to Stop and Render Aid arising from a minor accident. As charged, our client's offense was a felony. The client was not legall ... y in the U.S. but his four children were all born here. His business was here as well. Many attractive plea deals would expose him to deportation. He had come to our office after indictment so we never had an opportunity to persuade the Grand Jury to No-Bill. Unique facts made it a difficult case for the prosecution. Over many months their offers improved from felony deferred to a deferred on a misdemeanor reduction. Yet we continued at every setting to seek a better result while insisting the case deserved a dismissal. The final offer was a plea to reckless driving. After rejection of that offer, the prosecutor finally agreed to dismiss upon completion of some exceedingly minor tasks by our client. No problem. Nearly ten months after his arrest, case dismissed. No felony conviction. No jail. No probation. No trial. Most importantly, the matter cannot be used as the basis for his deportation.

Criminal defense

Evidence Suppressed - Manufacturing with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance

Jan 30, 2017

OUTCOME: Case dismissed

Client charged with first degree felony Manufacturing with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance. It appeared client had been identified by undercover narcotics officers who had directed marked patr ... ol units to stop his vehicle. Officer making the traffic stop conducted a pat down search for weapons (Terry frisk) during which he found a large amount of methamphetamines in client's pocket with yet more concealed elsewhere in his clothing. Police also found a large amount of marijuana in client's vehicle and materials for packaging and sale of narcotics. We filed a motion to suppress the evidence based on the arresting officer's improper search and seizure of the evidence. Despite a showing that client had agreed to allow the officer to search the pocket, we argued consent was in fact cooerced under the circumstances. Judge agreed both that the search was illegal and the consent was invalid. All seized evidence was suppressed as "fruit of the poisonous tree" and the case was dismissed.

Criminal defense

Big relief for our client!

Dec 07, 2016

OUTCOME: Charge reduced, 5 years deferred

Client facing 25 to 99 years for an accusation of aggravated sexual assault of his minor child. It was a complicated situation with some rather unusual circumstances. After nearly two years of working ... and negotiating we came to an agreement that will allow him to return to being a father to his family. He pled to the lesser charge of injury to a child with no sex offender conditions and will be on deferred adjudication for 5 years. Dallas County takes these cases very seriously so we didn't get this deal just by asking nicely. Above all, prosecutors in the family violence section strive to protect the children. So they don't just hand out case reductions. We had to persuade them it was in the best interest of the child, the family and the greater community. Thanks to an understanding prosecutor and judge, today a family will be reunited.

Criminal defense

Prisoner - Special Prosecution

Dec 06, 2016

OUTCOME: Favorable Plea

Client is an inmate in a maximum security correctional facility. He was accused of attacking four correctional officers including the warden of his facility. The warden had blood on his face and clothi ... ng and the other three corrections officers had a variety of visible injuries. Court was being held in the county where the correctional facility is located. The prison is the area's biggest employer. At trial the jury would be packed with people who are employed by or are very close to those employed by TDCJ. Because client is a habitual offender he faced 25 to 99 years if convicted. After much preparation and numerous trips to consult with both my client and the prosecutor, we were able to arrange a plea deal for 6 years with credit for back time for almost 2 of those years. With parole decisions the way they are my client may be out almost as soon as his other sentence ends. But even if he has to serve 4, he's far better off than the 25 to 99 he'd have to do if we tried the case and lost. Jurors often split the range so he could have seen 40 or 50 years for a conviction. Client was smiling and fist bumping (hands and legs were in chains) when told of the deal.

Criminal defense

Probation Violation - Burglary of a Habitation

Sep 30, 2016

OUTCOME: Probation continued and discharged

Client was a young man on deferred adjudication (a probation in which the case gets dismissed if the probation is completed successfully). His probation was about to end. The State moved to Proceed to ... Adjudication (basically to revoke his probation). He had been successful on his probation except for finding new and creative ways to continue using drugs. Prior to our representation the state had already moved to revoke him once and had given him 30 days jail as a condition of continuing him on probation. Normally if a probationer continues to violate the terms of their probation the state wants to either revoke the probation, send them to treatment, or hit them with an even stiffer punishment. Our client had picked up a new drug offense in another county. Rather than allow the state to send him to treatment which would have kept him in custody well after the original end date of his probation, we were able to get him the exact same short jail term as a condition of continuing him so that his probation would end in the following month without being extended. And he would not have a felony conviction. Client was extremely happy.

Criminal defense

Aggravated Assault With Deadly Weapon Serious Bodily Injury and Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon

Sep 29, 2016

OUTCOME: Both cases dismissed

Client was facing 5 to 99 years after being arrested for attacking and cutting her husband multiple times with a knife. We bonded her from jail and immediately began working her cases. Early on we were ... able to have the serious bodily injury charge dropped. This brought her exposure down to 2 to 20 years. We also contested a Protective Order that was pursued on behalf of the husband and were able to reach the very unusual agreement to have the temporary orders extended. This helped the client maintain her parental and custodial rights in her family law matter. For the remaining charge, we worked for over a year, making our way through 3 different Family Violence prosecutors along the way. The old prosecutor would get transferred and a new one would take over the case. We had to start fresh with each new prosecutor. Because of the complicated and unusual circumstances leading to the husband's injuries we were able to negotiate the dismissal of both cases contingent upon my client completing a Batterer's Intervention Program (BIPP). Our client successfully completed the course and her remaining Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon charge was dropped.

Criminal defense

Abandon Child - Three counts

Sep 28, 2016

OUTCOME: No Billed by the Grand Jury

Client was a single mother of three young children who faced three counts of a State Jail Felony after being arrested for leaving her children in her running vehicle late at night while she bought groc ... eries. She was also the focus of a Child Protective Services investigation from this same occurrence. We helped bond her from jail and spent many hours preparing a carefully worded letter (called a packet) to persuade the Grand Jury to No-Bill the three cases (not to prosecute). Though agreeing she did violate the law, we urged a number of reasons we felt she should not be punished further. We had to wait many months for the Grand Jury but upon hearing the cases and considering our packet, the grand jury No-Billed all three cases. Our client can continue supporting her family without being burdened by a criminal record.

Criminal defense

Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Subtstance

Sep 27, 2016

OUTCOME: Deferred adjudication and Continpued on Probation

Client facing 5 to 99 years on two first degree felonies and one state jail felony. He had been arrested after a traffic stop revealed he was carrying a massive amount of illegal drugs in his vehicle. ... When we say massive, the veteran prosecutor commented it was the most drugs he had ever seen on one person. What's worse, the client had just started probation on an assault charge from the same felony court only two days earlier. He had barely left the courthouse before picking up some three huge new cases. The client's bonds were set at $100,000.00 on each of his three cases. The family was unable to make the high bonds and we moved quickly to have each of his bonds reduced to a maximum of $5000.00 the very next day. The State then filed a motion to revoke his probation and issued a warrant. We then had his probation changed from a felony to a misdemeanor to reflect the intent of the original plea. That allowed us to request a misdemeanor level bond. We then bonded our client on the new warrant and began to work all of his cases. We counseled our client on the many things he could begin doing to make a good impression on those who were deciding his fate. To his credit, he stayed out of trouble, changed his surroundings and began working a legitimate job. He always showed up for court well dressed. After many months we were able to get the state to agree to continue our client on probation and offer an 8 year deferred adjudication on the two first degree charges and a 5 year deferred on the State Jail Felony. If the client complies with all terms of his probation we can petition the court for early discharge after a couple of years and the case will be dismissed.

Criminal defense

Theft $1,500 - $20,000

Feb 11, 2016

OUTCOME: No Billed by the Grand Jury

Our client was charged with stealing around $15,000 of construction materials from a former employer. The case had been dormant for three years before being revived by our client's arrest on an outstan ... ding warrant. After speaking to the detective and other investigation, we presented a packet to the Grand Jury. They agreed that the case should not go forward and our client's case was No-Billed.

David Lawrence Traylor's Legal Cases (29)

Resisting Arrest - Dismissed

Failure to Stop and Render Aid - Dismissed

Evidence Suppressed - Manufacturing with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance

Big relief for our client!

Prisoner - Special Prosecution

Probation Violation - Burglary of a Habitation

Aggravated Assault With Deadly Weapon Serious Bodily Injury and Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon

Abandon Child - Three counts

Manufacturing and Delivery of a Controlled Subtstance

Theft $1,500 - $20,000