Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell

Michael P. Heiskell

Private Practice Lawyer
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As an attorney with over thirty (30) years of experience, Heiskell represents numerous individuals at the pre-indictment and indictment level. He is able to navigate the complexities confronting those targeted by grand jury investigations at the federal and state levels. He is also a skilled litigator.  In 2008, he has obtained two dismissals on indictments of Murder both immediately prior to trial, a dismissal during trial for Improper Relations with a Student, and a dismissal after Suppression Hearing on a charge of Aggravated Robbery. Thus far in 2009 he obtained dismissals  at the Grand Jury level for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, Aggravated Kidnapping, and Assault on a Pulic Servant. Furthermore, he had two No-Bills (dismissals) issued by the Tarrant County Grand Jury for Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault of a Child, respectively. He also successfully negotiated an Aggravated Robbery indicment to a misdemeanor plea prior to trial.

Continuing Legal Education: Frequent Author and Lecturer for Dallas County Criminal Lawyers Association, Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, State Bar of Texas, Tarrant County Bar Association, San Antonio Criminal Lawyers Association, Lousiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Former Course Director: "Advanced Criminal Law Short Course," and the "Advanced Federal Law Short Course" for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Recently named course director for 2009 "Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Short Course."

Lecture Topics : "Confessions in Texas;" "Guilty Pleas;" "Cross-Examination of Experts in Federal Fraud Investigations;" "Grand Jury Practice in Federal Courts;" "Opening Statements"; "Fundamentals of Federal Representation"; "Effective Federal Pretrial Motions;" "Litigating Multi-Defendant Cases;" "Handling the Narcotics Case;" "Capital Murder Jury Selection;" "Jury Selection in Narcotics Cases"; "Cross-Examination;" "Handling High Profile Cases;" "Ethics;" "Defending Environmental Crimes Investigations,"  "Voir Dire."

Practice Areas

Criminal Law; Administrative Law; Securities Law

Admitted	1974, Texas; 1980, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; 1989, U.S. District Court, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Federal Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court
Law School	Baylor University, J.D.
College	Baylor University, B.A., 1972.
Member	Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; National Bar Association; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers (Former President); Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers (Former President); National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; College of the State Bar of Texas.
Biography	Pi Alpha Delta; Omicron Delta Kappa. Recipient, "Lawyer of the Year Award," Tarrant County Black Bar Association, 1995 and 2000. Named a "Super Lawyer" in Texas Monthly Magazine, 2003-2009. Frequent Author and Lecturer for Dallas County Criminal Lawyers Association, Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, State Bar of Texas, Tarrant County Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Topics include: "Confessions in Texas;" "Guilty Pleas;" "Cross-Examination of Experts in Federal Fraud Investigations;" "Grand Jury Practice in Federal Courts;" "Opening Statements;" "Effective Federal Pretrial Motions;" "Litigating Multi-Defendant Cases;" "Handling the Narcotics Case;" "Capital Murder Jury Selection;" "Jury Selection in Narcotics Cases;" "Handling Narcotics Cases and the Informant;" "Cross-Examination;" "Handling High Profile Cases;" "Ethics;" "Defending Environmental Crimes Investigations". Former Course Director, "Advanced Criminal Law Short Course," Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Course Director, "Advanced Federal Law Short Course," Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2002; "Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Course," 1994, 2005 and 2009. Former Assistant District Attorney, Galveston County, Texas, 1975-1980; Former Assistant United States Attorney, 1980-1984. Former Committeeperson, Criminal Justice Reform and Civil Justice Reform, and Chair and Former Chairperson, Court Advisory Committee, Northern District of Texas. Member: Merit Systems Protection Board. Fellow, State Bar of Texas.
Born	Fort Worth, Texas, September 11, 1951
Languages	English
ISLN	906573745