“I hadn't slept in two days. Reynaldo read the paper with me line by line, and the first thing I understood was that I had time to think.”
Nestor G.Former client
Ludivina Mondragon, defense lawyer
Charged in West Texas? Start at the root.
A mesquite sends its taproot down before anything shows above ground, often deeper than the tree is tall. A defense works the same way. We read the paper, get the video, find the people and weigh the offer before anyone argues. Pick what brings you here.
Ludivina Mondragon
Partner and criminal defense lawyer
I'm here because of
- A drug chargePossession, delivery or a car stop
- A fight or an assault chargeIncluding family-violence allegations
- A theft chargeShoplifting, burglary or theft at work
- My child was arrestedJuvenile court, school and parents
- I'm not sure what I'm charged withBring the paper. We'll read it with you.
- I'd rather talk in SpanishHablamos español
- English and SpanishTwo of our three lawyers speak both
- Fees in writingQuoted for each stage, before we start it
- Odessa office410 N Grant Avenue
The first weeks
What goes down first
Before the first hearing, four things happen underground. You won't see most of them, and they decide more than the hearing does.
- 01
The paper
We read the complaint, the arrest report and your bond conditions line by line, and tell you in plain words what each one says and what it doesn't.
- 02
The video
Camera footage doesn't always last, so we ask in writing that it be kept, then watch all of it before we advise you.
- 03
The people
Who saw it, who called it in, who has a reason to tell it a certain way. We find and talk to witnesses while memories are fresh.
- 04
The offer
If the prosecutor makes an offer, we explain what it costs beyond the sentence: your job, your license, your record and anyone it touches.
The name
Why a mesquite
In dry country the tree that lasts is rarely the tallest. It's the one whose taproot found water, often far deeper than the tree is tall. That's the firm: three lawyers in Odessa who put the work underground first.
We take drug, assault, theft and juvenile cases, in state court and federal court, and we say so plainly. If yours is something else, we'll tell you on the first call and point you to someone who handles it.
“In every photo on this site I'm sitting where a client would sit. That's on purpose. You'll be across from me in a room like this one, and I want you to feel like the person we work for, not a case number.”
From clients
What clients say when it's over
“My son was fifteen. Ludivina explained everything to my husband and me in Spanish, and never once rushed us.”
Tamara R.Parent of a client
“Mr. Haskew told me the truth about the offer even though it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I'm glad he did.”
Wanda P.Former client
Sample reviews, shown for illustration. Each client's case is different, and what happened in one case does not predict another.
Asked in the first week
Before you say anything else
Do I have to answer the police?
You can decline to answer questions and ask for a lawyer. Say so clearly, then stop talking and call us. Nothing you say to explain yourself helps more than waiting does.
What should I bring to the first call?
Any paper you were given: a citation, a bond form, a court notice. If you have none, tell us what happened and the date. We'll work out the rest.
What does a defense cost?
We quote a fee in writing for each stage of a case before we start it, so you know what the next few months cost. Payment plans are possible. No lawyer can promise a result, and we don't.
Does everyone there speak Spanish?
Ludivina Mondragon and Reynaldo Soliz do. Orval Haskew does not, and either of them joins your meeting with him. We can send you papers in Spanish too.
Will you tell my family?
Only if you ask us to. What you tell us stays between you and the firm. If you'd like us to explain your case to a parent or a spouse, we will, and in the language they're most comfortable in.
Tell us what happened.
One call, in English or Spanish. We listen first, then tell you what we'd look at before anything else.
Please don't send confidential details by text or form until we've confirmed we represent you.