Criminal Defense · Albuquerque, New Mexico
A Former Prosecutor. A Trial-Tested Defense.
For over 25 years, I have been finding ways to win in court. I have investigated and tried nearly every category of criminal case, from complex, multi-defendant federal prosecutions to the cases that don’t make headlines but matter just as much to the person facing them.
Why Experience Matters
Then · For the Government
As a former state and federal prosecutor, I spent my career building criminal cases for the government. That experience taught me how the prosecution builds its case, what a case file looks like from the inside, and where the government’s cases are strong and where they are vulnerable.
Now · For the Defense
Now I use that knowledge to take cases apart, piece by piece, in defense of my clients.
When you’re facing a criminal charge, you need someone who has seen the system from each side. That’s what I bring to every case.
As an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, I handled hundreds of federal cases involving guns and drugs, including investigations into large-scale international narcotics organizations and cases involving possession, transportation, and distribution. I also prosecuted a wide range of firearms cases, including felon in possession, armed robbery, bank robbery, and violations of the National Firearms Act.
For several years, I specialized in National Security prosecutions, including domestic and international terrorism, espionage, export control, human trafficking, cybercrime, electronic espionage, and homegrown violent extremism. During that time, I led the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council and served as the National Security Cyber Specialist for the District of New Mexico.
As an Assistant District Attorney, I prosecuted nearly every category of state crime, including murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, assault and battery, burglary and theft, armed robbery, drug possession and trafficking, gun crime, and DWI. I tried several high-profile cases that played out under intense media scrutiny, experience that taught me how public perception can shape a criminal case and how to manage that pressure for a client.
Before becoming a prosecutor, I worked in civil practice at a large law firm, handling complex litigation including class actions, products liability, oil and gas disputes, wrongful death claims, insurance defense, and personal injury cases. That breadth of experience, across both the criminal and civil systems, gives me a perspective on the legal process that few defense attorneys can offer.
I take pride in building relationships of trust with my clients. Access is part of that relationship. Limiting communication to a 9-to-5 workday doesn’t build the confidence a client needs in the person defending their future.
Litigation Philosophy
It’s true that most criminal cases resolve before trial. Both the government and the accused generally have strong motivations to avoid the risk of a trial, and a negotiated resolution is often in everyone’s interest.
But sometimes you have to fight.
A legal battle happens over several stages. It starts with making sure the government hands over every piece of evidence you’re legally entitled to receive. From there, it moves into testing the evidence itself. The government can make mistakes, like anyone does. Across my career as a prosecutor, I personally reviewed hundreds of search and arrest warrants to make sure they were legally sound. As a defense attorney, I bring that same scrutiny to my clients’ cases, looking for the mistake in an investigation that can support a motion to dismiss or suppress evidence. That’s the fight most people never hear about.
And then there’s the fight for a fair plea agreement, one that actually serves the client’s interests. That fight requires the kind of sound judgment that can only come from experience. With nearly 25 years in this work, on both sides of the table, I know how a prosecutor evaluates a case, and I know what it takes to win a fair and reasonable resolution for my clients.
Representation
Defense at every stage, from the first knock of an investigation through trial, in state and federal court.
Fraud, financial, and regulatory matters handled with discretion, before charges are filed and after.
Challenging the government’s seizure of property, accounts, and assets.
Representing families after a loss caused by another’s negligence or misconduct.
Serious injury claims, prepared for trial from day one.
Post-conviction review and appellate advocacy in state and federal courts.
Credentials
Contact
When your future is on the line, you need direct access to the person defending you. Contact Stanford Law Office today to talk about your case.
317 Commercial St. NE, Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87102
