JOHN HOUSTON NIX
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John Nix grew up in West Texas. His family grew cotton, but his father dreamed of being an attorney his whole life. It was no accident his three kids went on to become attorneys. The Nix family, on his father's side descended from the same lineage as Governor Samuel Houston. John's mother is an artist in New York City who has received world recognition, and is currently a member of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academy of Design. I tell you this to give you an insight into John. He has an innate ability to communicate and appreciate all types of people. In Lamesa, where he grew up the population is 97% Hispanic and John spent many hours in the cotton field and in the various fields of life cultivating friendships with his father's Hispanic employees. Consequently, he also became bilingual.
After John graduated from Texas Christian University he attended law school in Oklahoma City. His brother had attended Oklahoma City University as well to take advantage of the night school program, which allowed them both to work during the day. Upon graduation he secured a position with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as an attorney. The experience at the OSBI set the course of his legal career and allowed him to pursue his dream of being a criminal attorney. The OSBI was a storied institution and it manufactured the first mobile crime lab in the country and was instrumental in capturing some of the most notorious outlaws of the depression era. Today it is recognized as one of the top law enforcement agencies in the country and covers the entire real of criminal investigation and analysis.
John not only assisted in the prosecution of criminals across the State of Oklahoma, he also learned the value and techniques of first class police work and developed and in-depth ability to analyze criminal cases. Because so many officers lack the proper training to understanding to meet proper constitutional standards, John's experience has given him the ability to immediately recognize the problems with cases presented by the State. This not only relates to incidents in the field, but it also translates to the improper drafting of warrants, surveillance, and handling of evidence.
When evidence is obtained in the field that requires testing, there are specific methods and standards that must be complied with. Whether it was chemicals, fingerprints, blood, breath, hair or DNA of any nature, an effective representation has to include analysis of handling and testing procedures. John's experience with the OSBI Crime Lab and it's chemists and personnel, have given him a unique ability to assess the methods in which the evidence was produced to a lab, how it was handled, and whether the testing procedures were done properly and most importantly, fairly. You will not find an attorney in this region with that type of experience.
After John left the OSBI he went to work with the Grayson County District Attorney's Office in Sherman, Texas. While at the District Attorney's Office, John learned not only to effectively try criminal cases to Juries and Judges, he also learned how a prosecutor thinks. He learned that certain methods followed by defense counsels were effective and most weren't. That is because most attorneys on the defense side are unable to understand the nature of a prosecutor's case without having worked as one. The prosecution usually has the benefit of uniformed officers that most people want to believe as their "star" witness. They usually have the benefit of physical evidence as well. Not only this, they usually have two or three investigators at their disposal to drag up whatever else is lacking in their case. This is why you have to be able to micro-analyze every aspect of the State's case and where it falls short, you have to be able and willing to counter and dispose of every element possible. Without the ability to see where the problems lie, a criminal defense can suffer immensely.
John's ability to speak Spanish and maneuver through the criminal justice system allowed him to spot a market back in 2000 when he realized no-one in Southern Oklahoma and North of Dallas were representing illegals before the Federal Immigration Court in Dallas. At that time John began defending those faced with deportation and removal from the United States. He also began processing family and work petitions before the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Affairs (I.N.S.). With a fully bilingual staff, Nix and Hoover can assist in all matters related to Immigration law as well.
At age 33, John was elected by his peers in 2004 to serve as the first President of the Grayson County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He served in that role for two years being elected twice. He surrendered the position in 2006 after being elected President of the entire Grayson County Bar. Also in 2006, he along with 33 other lawyers across the State of Texas, was selected by Texas Monthly magazine as a 'Rising Star' in the area of criminal law. This certified that he was one of the top defense lawyers in the State. The distinction was significant due to the fact that over ninety percent of the selected lawyers came from the larger markets of Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. To be recognized from the Sherman market was a great honor and the only time a criminal defense attorney from Grayson County has received such.
John believes in a pro-active representation from the beginning instead of waiting for your case to be filed. He interviews witnesses, secures affidavits, lobbies police and prosecutors alike, and tries every way he knows to prevent your case from actually being filed. He takes on every aspect of the criminal process, including appellate and parole representation, and never quits pursuing your desires. It is your life, your case, and you are the one who has to live with the consequences.
Seriously Outstanding
only 5% selected each year
Texas Rising Star:
President
President
Attorney -
Texas State Criminal
Attorney -
Oklahoma
United States Marine
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Iraqi Freedom
