Our Writers' Group

Click on the names in the tabs on the left to read the bios for any of our contributing attorneys for the defense.

Lee Haidusek has a BS in Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University. She worked as a lobbyist at the Texas Capitol prior to becoming an attorney. Since law school, her practice has been predominantly pro bono publico, as well as assisting attorneys with case research and writing briefs. She was co-counsel with Roy Greenwood and David Schulman on Texas v. Cobb. In her spare time, Lee writes suspense novels, and hopes to be published soon.

John G. Jasuta holds a B.S.Ed. from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD from St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio. He has worked within the prison system as a member of the Staff Counsel for Inmates of the former Texas Department of Corrections, has served as General Counsel to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and as a member of the central staff of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for over twenty-four years, rising to the position of Chief Staff Attorney and head of the writ section of that staff. He co-wrote Texas Criminal Writ Practice with Catherine Burnett and Rick Wetzel and has written other articles on habeas corpus and some of the more arcane aspects of that area including time computations under the law. He retired from the State of Texas in September 2003.

Angela J. Moore is a board certified criminal law specialist. She has been selected and approved to receive the newest specialization, Criminal Appellate law, and will officially receive this credential in December 2011. She was named one of the top appellate lawyers in San Antonio for 2009 by SA scene magazine, and was the Bexar County Appellate Public Defender from 2006 to 2011. Angela's prior public service includes Asst. District Attorney for Bexar County 1990-1998, First Assistant County Attorney for Kendall County, 2004-2005, Chief Staff Attorney for the writ section of the Court of Criminal Appeals, 2003-2004; and briefing attorney at the Court 1988-1989 for Judge W.C. Davis. After serving four years as an Asst. United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas from 1998-2002, she left that office to enter private practice, and after some time at home in Boerne, she was appointed Chief Public Defender for Bexar County. Recently Ms. Moore has joined the firm of Rogers & Moore, PLLC. Please see the firm website at www.rogersmoorelaw.com.

Doug O'Brien has a BS from the University of Houston and a JD from South Texas College of Law. He served in the Harris County District Attorney's Office from 1974 until 1980, working in the juvenile, trial, appellate, post conviction writs and special crimes divisions. Since 1980, Doug has been a criminal defense attorney.

For over the past 20 years Doug has played lead guitar in DBI, a band composed of current and former Harris County Assistant DA's and a retired Houston Police Department homicide detective.

David A. Schulman was the Co-Author of the Greenwood / Schulman report for many years and one of the founders of Texas Independent Bar Association. David was a member of the Court of Criminal Appeals' central staff in 1991-1993. He has been lead counsel in hundreds of direct appeals and habeas corpus proceedings, and reviews every published criminal case from the Court of Criminal Appeals and every Court of Appeals on a weekly basis.

David has been Board Certified in Criminal Law since 1991 and recently spearheaded the successful effort leading to the creation of the Criminal Appellate specialization area. David was the first to apply for certification and, in 2011, was one of the first attorneys to become Board Certified in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate law.

See his website at www.davidschulman.com.

Our Writers' Group

Click on the names in the tabs on the left to read the bios for any of our contributing attorneys for the state.

Alan Curry has a BA from Stephen F. Austin State University and a JD from South Texas College of Law. He has served as an assistant district attorney with the Harris County District Attorney's Office for the past 16 years, and he is now the chief prosecutor of the Appellate Division. Prior to working for the district attorney's office, Alan worked for one year as a briefing attorney on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston. Alan is Editor of the State Criminal Appellate Law Update for the Appellate Advocate, the newsletter for the Civil Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar, and he is also the Co-Editor for the State's Appellate Manual published by the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

Helena Faulkner received a B.A. in Journalism and French from Texas Christian University in December 1985 and a J.D. from Texas Tech University in May 1989. After law school, she served three and a half years as briefing attorney and then a research attorney at the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. After working in private practice for a year, Helena joined the Appellate Division of the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office in January 1994.

Jeffrey Garon recently joined both the TIBA writing team and the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office - where he focuses primarily on appellate legal issues. Previously, Jeff spent nine years as an appellate prosecutor in Collin County and several years working as a staff attorney at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. He initially began his practice in appellate criminal law as an attorney providing legal services to inmates at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Jeff possesses a broad range of appellate experience, from handling capital and non-capital direct appeals to litigating writs of habeas corpus in federal and state court. He has practiced in numerous Texas and Federal district and appellate courts including work in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. Outside of the office, he constantly seeks to improve his skills to become more than an amateur woodworker.

Chuck Mallin received a B.S. from Cal State L.A. and his J.D. from Southwestern University, Los Angeles. After several years with the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office, he became the Research Assistant for Judge Rusty Duncan at the Court of Criminal Appeals, and then took up the same position with Judge Louis Sturns. In 1991, Chuck joined the Appellate Division for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office, and, in 1992, became the Assistant Chief of the Division. He promoted to Chief of the Appellate Division in 1996. He has written articles for the State Bar, TDCAA, and TWU Law Review. Chuck has also given lectures at various seminars for these organizations.

Gail Kikawa McConnell was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, and moved to Texas in 1984 to work for Continental Airlines in financial planning. She fell in love with wide open spaces and a Texan ("McConnell"), and has lived happily in the Houston area ever since. Gail received her BBA and MBA from UH (University of Hawaii), and earned her J.D. at UH (University of Houston) in 1992. After law school, she served as a briefing attorney at the First Court of Appeals serving Justices Mirabal, Price, Jones, and Hedges. While at the court, she co-authored a seminar paper, "Appeals from a Summary Judgment," with Justice Hedges. She left the court for an appellate attorney position at the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, where she served a year in a trial court before becoming "Chief" of the appellate section, a position she has enjoyed and held since. Gail is co-editor with Alan Curry of the State's Appellate Manual, now in its third edition, published by TDCAA; and co-compiler of the Jury Charge Bank available on the TDCAA website (www.tdcaa.com).

Kevin P. Yeary is an assistant criminal district attorney in Bexar County, Texas. Kevin is currently assigned to the appellate division of the Bexar County Criminal District Attorneys' Office and has worked in that office since 1998. From 1991-1992 he served as briefing attorney to the late Judge Bill M. White at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. From 1992-1995 he worked as an associate at the firm formerly known as Hedges and Walsh, a civil litigation firm in San Antonio, Texas. From 1995-1996, he worked as an assistant district attorney in the appellate division of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. And from 1997-1998, worked as an assistant district attorney in the appellate division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Kevin has authored articles and papers and has taught at several TDCAA sponsored seminars. He is also an adjunct professor at San Antonio College, where he teaches both Legal Research and Writing and Criminal Law and Procedure.