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Chris Denuna is a criminal defense attorney and co-founder of Denuna & Westbrook, PLLC. For more than twelve years, he has defended individuals facing DWI charges, misdemeanor offenses, and serious felony allegations in Houston, throughout the Gulf Coast region, and across Texas.
Known for his science-based approach to DWI defense and his willingness to take cases to trial, Chris combines extensive trial experience with advanced forensic training to challenge the evidence prosecutors rely on in criminal cases.
Whether representing a first-time DWI client, defending a serious felony allegation, or litigating a probation violation, Chris follows the same objective: challenge unsupported assumptions, hold the government to its burden, and require the State to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chris chose criminal defense because an accusation can place a person’s freedom, career, reputation, family, and future at risk, regardless of that person’s background or profession.
Throughout his career, Chris has represented doctors, teachers, engineers, business owners, police officers, laborers, students, and others who suddenly found themselves facing the power of the criminal justice system. He believes a defense attorney’s most important responsibilities include ensuring that clients understand their rights and protecting those rights when they are threatened.
As a lifelong athlete and competitor, Chris is driven by preparation and the challenge of trial work. He is particularly drawn to cases in which law enforcement or prosecutors have made assumptions the evidence does not support. When constitutional rights are violated or the government takes shortcuts, Chris works to ensure that those failures are exposed and addressed.
For Chris, criminal defense is about more than answering an accusation. It’s about requiring the government to follow the law and ensuring that every person receives a fair process.
DWI defense has been a foundation of Chris’ career since law school. Before becoming a licensed attorney, he was already focused on DWI defense as a law student and intern. That early interest continues to define a substantial part of his practice.
Chris was drawn to DWI defense because these cases bring together constitutional law, trial advocacy, forensic science, and significant real-world consequences.
He believes DWI cases are frequently misunderstood. It’s not illegal to consume alcohol and drive a vehicle. The law prohibits driving while intoxicated. That distinction matters.
Chris believes many DWI investigations begin with assumptions rather than evidence. A traffic violation combined with the odor of alcohol may cause an officer to suspect intoxication, but suspicion alone is not proof. The State must still establish intoxication through reliable evidence and prove its allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chris examines each stage of a DWI investigation, including the traffic stop, field sobriety testing, breath or blood testing, laboratory procedures, and the assumptions underlying the State's evidence. Nothing is taken at face value.
Chris has tried close to 50 jury trials during his career, with nearly 70 percent involving DWI allegations.
Some of his most memorable victories have occurred in cases where the government believed conviction was inevitable. He has successfully defended cases involving serious accidents, blood alcohol concentrations more than twice the legal limit, and investigations where prosecutors believed the evidence was overwhelming.
One particularly memorable result involved a client charged with his second DWI offense following a serious accident and a reported blood alcohol concentration of 0.27. Despite the State's confidence in its case, Chris obtained a Not Guilty verdict after exposing weaknesses in the investigation and challenging the reliability of the evidence.
Those cases reinforce a guiding principle in every case: the State’s confidence does not replace its burden of proof.
In addition to his trial experience, Chris has pursued extensive training in forensic toxicology and scientific evidence.
Chris has received specialized training through Axion Analytical Labs and has been designated by the Chemistry and Law Division of the American Chemical Society as an ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist. His training includes forensic alcohol testing, toxicology, blood-testing procedures, breath-testing methodology, gas chromatography, laboratory quality control, and the scientific analysis of DWI evidence.
That background allows him to examine not only the reported result but also the scientific process used to produce it. In a DWI case, the difference between conviction and acquittal may depend on understanding how evidence was collected, preserved, tested, interpreted, and presented to a jury.
Chris believes effective DWI defense requires both courtroom advocacy and a thorough understanding of the science behind the evidence. One without the other isn’t enough.
Chris believes every client deserves direct communication with the attorney who handles the case. Clients who hire Denuna & Westbrook are not passed to someone they’ve never met.
Chris works directly with his clients throughout the representation and remains accessible when important questions or concerns arise. He understands that criminal charges create stress, uncertainty, and anxiety for both clients and their families. His goal is to provide straightforward advice, honest assessments, and rigorous representation from the beginning of the case through its resolution.
Chris was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and remains a passionate supporter of Louisiana sports teams at both the collegiate and professional levels.
A former Division I soccer player at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Chris helped his team win multiple conference championships and advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen on two occasions. The competitive mindset he developed through athletics continues to shape how he prepares and competes in the courtroom today.
Outside the office, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and their young twins. He is an avid soccer and MMA fan and stays active through fitness and training.
Chris believes that discipline, preparation, resilience, and the determination to keep competing helped him succeed as an athlete. Those same qualities guide how he represents clients when their future is on the line.
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