Menu
Prepared for Trial. Grounded in Evidence. Focused on You.
Choosing a criminal defense lawyer is about more than finding someone who handles the charge you’re facing. The attorney you select will help you make decisions that may affect your freedom, career, family, reputation, and future.
At Denuna & Westbrook, PLLC, our approach is built on disciplined preparation, independent examination of the evidence, and direct attorney involvement. We do not begin by assuming the police report is accurate or that the State’s conclusions are supported. We begin with what happened, how the evidence was obtained, and what the government can actually prove.
Chris Denuna and Nick Westbrook bring more than 30 years of combined criminal defense experience to the firm. That experience includes representation in first-time misdemeanors, DWI cases, probation violations, and serious felony prosecutions carrying life-changing consequences.
Experience matters because criminal cases rarely unfold exactly as they first appear. Police reports may omit important details. Witness accounts may conflict. Scientific evidence may rest on assumptions that deserve closer examination. Prior convictions, bond conditions, professional licensing concerns, and other collateral consequences may affect the true exposure.
Recognizing those issues early allows the defense to make informed decisions and develop a strategy that accounts for the entire case, not just the charge listed on the court’s docket.
Many criminal cases resolve without a jury trial. Every case should still be prepared as though a jury may ultimately decide it.
Trial preparation requires more than reviewing the police report and appearing in court. It means identifying the elements the State must prove, examining how the investigation was conducted, preserving favorable evidence, evaluating witness credibility, researching the controlling law, and anticipating how prosecutors will present the case.
That preparation creates options. It may expose grounds for suppression, reveal weaknesses that support dismissal or reduction, strengthen negotiations, or place the defense in a better position to proceed to trial.
The State's version of a case is only a starting point. Every charge deserves an independent review of what happened, how the evidence was obtained, and what the government can actually prove.
Chris Denuna has tried close to 50 jury trials, many involving DWI allegations. Both attorneys approach each case with the understanding that a favorable resolution is more likely when the defense is prepared to challenge the State’s evidence in court.
An arrest establishes that law enforcement believed there was probable cause. It doesn’t establish guilt.
Across every practice area, our defense begins with the evidence. We examine video recordings, witness statements, search warrants, laboratory reports, medical records, vehicle data, digital communications, photographs, dispatch recordings, and other available information. We compare that evidence to the police report and determine whether the State’s version tells the full story.
Constitutional issues receive the same attention. A traffic stop, search, seizure, warrant, interrogation, or arrest must comply with the law. When officers exceed their authority or rely on unsupported statements, the resulting evidence may become vulnerable to challenge.
Our objective is not to accept conclusions simply because they appear in an official report. It’s to determine how those conclusions were reached and whether they hold up under careful examination.
DWI and drug cases frequently depend on evidence that prosecutors describe as scientific and objective. Breath test results, blood analysis, toxicology reports, drug testing, and laboratory findings may appear conclusive until the process behind the reported result is examined.
Chris Denuna has received advanced training in forensic toxicology through Axion Analytical Laboratories 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 procedures, and scientific analysis of DWI evidence.
That training allows the firm to examine more than the final number on a report. We review how a sample was collected, preserved, transported, tested, and interpreted. We examine instrument records, laboratory procedures, quality-control materials, mathematical assumptions, and other information that may affect the reliability of the result.
Scientific evidence is not beyond challenge. Machines require maintenance. Laboratories are operated by people. Testing procedures must be followed. A reported result is only as reliable as the process that produced it.
Clients hire Denuna & Westbrook to work with Nick Westbrook and Chris Denuna. Their cases are not passed to an attorney they have never met.
Direct communication matters because criminal charges create uncertainty. Clients need to understand what is happening, what options are available, and what decisions must be made. They also need attorneys who know the facts of their case and understand the consequences that matter most to them.
Chris and Nick work directly with clients throughout the representation. Their goal is to provide straightforward advice, realistic assessments, and clear explanations so each client can make informed decisions at every stage.
No two criminal cases are exactly alike. The same charge may arise from completely different facts, evidence, relationships, histories, and personal circumstances.
A first-time DWI requires a different strategy from an intoxication assault allegation. A family violence case built on conflicting statements differs from a drug prosecution based on a search warrant. A probation violation requires consideration of the original case, the alleged violation, the supervision history, and the available alternatives to revocation.
We develop the defense around the specific facts, legal issues, evidence, and consequences involved. The strategy may focus on suppressing evidence, contesting an element of the offense, challenging a witness, examining scientific testing, presenting mitigation, negotiating a reduction, preparing for trial, or combining several of those approaches.
Effective representation requires honest communication. Clients deserve to know both the strengths and weaknesses of their case.
We do not promise a particular result or tell clients only what they want to hear. We explain the evidence, the potential consequences, the available defenses, and the realistic options. When a case should be challenged, we prepare to challenge it. When mitigation or negotiation presents the best opportunity, we build the strongest presentation possible.
The client makes the final decisions. Our responsibility is to provide the information, preparation, and advice needed to make those decisions with confidence.
Denuna & Westbrook represents clients throughout Houston and the Gulf Coast region, including Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, and Waller County.
Every court and county operates differently. Local procedures, prosecutors, judges, diversion programs, and supervision practices may affect how a case develops. Experience in these jurisdictions helps the defense anticipate those differences and respond accordingly.
A criminal accusation does not tell the whole story, and an arrest does not determine the outcome. The work done at the beginning of a case may affect every stage that follows.
If you are facing a DWI charge, criminal allegation, probation or parole violation, or another matter that places your freedom and future at risk, contact Denuna & Westbrook, PLLC to discuss the case and the available options.
Call 713-966-0253, email info@texasdwlaw.com, or reach out online to schedule a confidential consultation.
© 2026 Denuna & Westbrook, PLLC
| View Our Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm