Attorneys

CYNTHIA EVA HUJAR ORR has attained prominence defending citizens and entities in state and federal trial and appellate courts.  She is currently a Vice-Chair-at-Large to the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers representative to the ABA House of Delegates.  She is Past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Cynthia is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas.  She is an inductee to the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. She obtained the first confession of error by the State of Texas in a death penalty case.  She was counsel on the team of lawyers who obtained the freedom of Michael Morton, who was released after being wrongfully accused and convicted in Williamson County, Texas.  Morton spent 25 years in jail before his release in October 2011. She also was counsel on the amicus brief in CNN vs. General Manuel Noriega before the United States Supreme Court where she successfully defended this unpopular defendant’s attorney-client privilege.

She is a member of the Board of Governors to the Fifth Circuit Bar and a member of the William S. Sessions American Inn of Court. Cynthia is a co-founder of the Texas Innocence Network. She is active in the San Antonio Bar Association as a Co-chair to the Federal Courts Committee-Criminal Law Subcommittee and in her community as well.

She began her career clerking for Fifth Circuit Judge Emilio Garza when he was on the District Court bench in San Antonio, Texas.  She is most active advocating criminal justice reform.  She is also Board Certified in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specializations.  Cynthia has an AV rating by Martindale Hubble and has a “Secret” security clearance.

A 1979 undergraduate of the University of Texas at Austin and 1988 graduate of St. Mary’s University Law School, she is proficient in trial, appeals, writs of habeas corpus, petitions for discretionary review, writs of certiorari, mandamus, prohibition and corum nobis.  Her breadth of experience with each vehicle compliments the others, making her a strong and experienced advocate.

Some of her past clients have been under investigation for antitrust matters, money laundering, RICO (Racketeering in Corrupt Organizations), economic espionage, foreign bank fraud, bank fraud, Bank Secrecy Act violations, money transfer business violations, bankruptcy fraud, insurance fraud, healthcare fraud, tax fraud, tax evasion, securities fraud, computer and internet fraud, economic and cyber-crime violations, credit card fraud, phone and telemarketing fraud, mail fraud, campaign contribution and election code violations, public corruption, government fraud, financial fraud, insider trading, bribery, kickbacks, counterfeiting, embezzlement, trade secret theft, ITAR, EAR and munitions violations, environmental violations, import or export offenses and forfeiture.  Her practice also includes the representation of those individuals and entities under investigation or accused of white collar and serious crimes in state court.  She further devotes a portion of her time to a pro bono death penalty practice.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS:

On October 4, 2011, was instrumental in gaining the release of an innocent man, Michael Morton, who was convicted in 1987 for the murder of his wife, in Williamson County, Texas. Michael Morton was represented by a team of lawyers Barry Scheck and Nina Morrison with the Innocence Project, Inc. of New York, Houston lawyer, John W. Raley, and San Antonio lawyers, Gerald H. Goldstein and Cynthia E. Orr.

Defendant, Adrian Estrada’s, death by lethal injection was overturned and his sentence reduced to life in State of Texas vs. Adrian Estrada, Cause No. 2006-CR-2079 in the 226th Judicial District Court, Bexar County, San Antonio, Texas.

Successful before the U.S. Supreme Court with regards to money laundering in Moreno -Gonzalez vs. U.S., No. 07-400 (2008).

Obtained the first confession of error by the State of Texas in a death penalty case, Miguel Angel Martinez vs. Gary Johnson, No. L-98-37 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Laredo Division, underlying case - State of Texas vs. Miguel Angel Martinez, Cause No. K-91-294-D3 in the 341st Judicial District Court, Webb County, Laredo, Texas.

Practice primarily devoted to defending citizens accused of crime in State and Federal Trial and Appellate Courts (90% of practice devoted to criminal defense work). Approximately 20% of our firm’s work is pro bono (primarily death penalty cases).