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Criminal Defense Attorney Dee McWilliams

About Criminal Defense Attorney
Dee McWilliams:

"I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet devised by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." – Thomas Jefferson

Dee McWilliams, the son of a career prosecutor, is a former prosecutor himself who has grown up in the criminal courthouse literally his entire life. 

Dee has practiced law for 12 years, a career he started as an assistant prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s office and after three years, joined the Parnham defense firm.  He second chaired Parnham for the second trial of Andrea Yates in which she was found not guilty by reason of insanity; was co-counsel in State v. Clara Harris, and was lead trial counsel in State v. Royce Zeigler (a.k.a. "Baby Grace") in Galveston.

His trial experience is extensive and his compassion for the citizen accused made him a wise choice for Parnham to partner with ten years ago.

"My earliest childhood memories are of the old Briscoe County courthouse in Silverton, TX, where my grandmother was the county and district clerk.  I used to spend hours among the huge, dusty old books reading handwritten transcripts of trials from the 1800’s.  Later on, I used to spend hours constructing scale models from crime scene photographs with my father, a career prosecutor, for him to use in trial.  From time to time he let me skip school to watch the closing arguments in important trials he prosecuted.  The courthouse has always been my second home and the courtroom as comfortable as my bed.  I never wanted to be anything other than a criminal trial lawyer, and I have dedicated my life to that pursuit.

It was during those early years that I began to realize what the essence of a trial lawyer is – to give a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves.  Even the allegation of criminal wrongdoing can – and often does – destroy reputations, careers, families, and lives.  In the frenzy of today’s 24-hour on-demand “news” cycles, I have watched public opinion be transformed into a lynch-mob mentality.  The “presumption of innocence”, the cornerstone of our criminal justice system, is becoming an endangered species.  The presumption of innocence is not just a novel or arcane relic.  It is, in fact, the ordinary citizen’s shield against the forces of tyranny.  It is the means by which the playing field is leveled.  I believe it is our solemn obligation as lawyers to cherish, protect, and defend with dogged tenacity that right against those who would seek to diminish or destroy it."



Houston, TX. 770021
Phone: (713) 224-3967
Fax:
email:


Date of Birth: December 7, 1972
Place of Birth: Lubbock, Texas

Undergraduate Education:
Texas Christian University Ft. Worth, Texas
B.S. – Criminal Justice – 1995 Graduate

Education:
South Texas College of Law Houston, Texas
Doctorate of Jurisprudence – 1999

Licensure:
State Bar of Texas Professional

Organizations:
State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association
Fort Bend County Criminal Defense Attorneys Association

Court Affiliations:
State of Texas
United States District Court:

Southern District of Texas
Western District of Texas

Law Practice:
Alliance 2002 – Present
Harris County District Attorney’s Office 1997- 2002
Chief County Court Prosecutor 2001-2002

Presentations and Seminars:
Presentation: Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, Ethics Seminar, “Ethical Issues in Mental Health Case, Houston, Texas, July, 2008.
Presentation: Capital Trial Advocacy – Capital, Mental Health and Habeas Seminar, “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity – State v. Andrea Yates,” Plano, Texas, April 2008.
Presentation: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI West Houston, Houston, Texas, “Mental Health Meets the Criminal Justice System,” June, 2010.

Awards and Recognitions:
Phi Delta Phi – South Texas College of Law
AVVO – Superb Rating, 2011