Education and Experience
Raised in Las Cruces, NM, I graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in
psychology and philosophy in 1997. I came to Austin in 1998 to attend the University of Texas
School of Law, and graduated in 2001 with an emphasis in criminal law and a certificate in
dispute resolution.
Raised in Las Cruces, NM, I graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in
psychology and philosophy in 1997. I came to Austin in 1998 to attend the University of Texas
School of Law, and graduated in 2001 with an emphasis in criminal law and a certificate in
dispute resolution.
My Philosophy
I am often asked the question "How can you defend someone who you know is guilty?" My answer is simple: "If I am
defending them, they aren't." Now this doesn't mean that I blindly protest my client's innocence, no matter the evidence to
the contrary. My answer is meant to illustrate one of the founding principles of our country, that a person is innocent until proven
guilty in a court of law. In the criminal justice system, "guilty" is purely a legal concept. So, by definition, any person I represent
cannot be guilty until a) the person pleads "guilty" or "no contest" and is found guilty by a judge, or b) the person is found
guilty following a fair trial before a jury of his or her peers.
Every criminal case is resolved in one of two ways. In a plea agreement, the prosecution and defendant agree on an
appropriate punishment or some form of dismissal. If the prosecution's plea offer is unacceptable, the only other option is
trial. The reality is, most criminal cases are resolved without the need for a trial, but the difference between a dismissal and a
conviction resulting in probation or jail time may well depend on what your attorney is willing and able to do for you.
The most important decision you will have to make is whether to plead guilty to the charges against you or to demand your
day in court. Before you make that decision, you need to have confidence that your attorney has done everything possible to
secure a dismissal, and that he has the experience and ability to defend you at trial if a plea bargain just won't do.
I am often asked the question "How can you defend someone who you know is guilty?" My answer is simple: "If I am
defending them, they aren't." Now this doesn't mean that I blindly protest my client's innocence, no matter the evidence to
the contrary. My answer is meant to illustrate one of the founding principles of our country, that a person is innocent until proven
guilty in a court of law. In the criminal justice system, "guilty" is purely a legal concept. So, by definition, any person I represent
cannot be guilty until a) the person pleads "guilty" or "no contest" and is found guilty by a judge, or b) the person is found
guilty following a fair trial before a jury of his or her peers.
Every criminal case is resolved in one of two ways. In a plea agreement, the prosecution and defendant agree on an
appropriate punishment or some form of dismissal. If the prosecution's plea offer is unacceptable, the only other option is
trial. The reality is, most criminal cases are resolved without the need for a trial, but the difference between a dismissal and a
conviction resulting in probation or jail time may well depend on what your attorney is willing and able to do for you.
The most important decision you will have to make is whether to plead guilty to the charges against you or to demand your
day in court. Before you make that decision, you need to have confidence that your attorney has done everything possible to
secure a dismissal, and that he has the experience and ability to defend you at trial if a plea bargain just won't do.
After graduating from UT, I became an appellate clerk, and later a prosecutor, with the Travis County Attorney's Office. I
then took a position with a highly successful criminal defense firm here in Austin. Having both prosecuted and defended
hundreds of criminal cases, almost exclusively in Central Texas, gives me a unique perspective to assess your case from both
sides: what to expect from the prosecutors, and what we can expect to do about it!
then took a position with a highly successful criminal defense firm here in Austin. Having both prosecuted and defended
hundreds of criminal cases, almost exclusively in Central Texas, gives me a unique perspective to assess your case from both
sides: what to expect from the prosecutors, and what we can expect to do about it!
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| The Law Office of Paul Quinzi 707 west 10th street Austin, Texas 512.535.1081 |
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