Cynthia Eva Orr
San Antonio, Texas
Associate
phone: 210-226-1463
800-226-6465 (Toll Free)
fax: 210-226-8367
Email Me
CYNTHIA EVA HUJAR ORR has attained national prominence defending citizens and entities in state and federal trial and appellate courts. She is currently the President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (term starts August ’09) and Past President of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. She is on the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Council.
She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and is an inductee to the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. Cynthia obtained the first confession of error by the State of Texas in a death penalty case. She was counsel on the Amicus brief in CNN v. General Manuel Noriega before the United States Supreme Court where she successfully defended this unpopular defendant’s attorney-client privilege.
She is a co-founder of the Texas Innocence Network and the San Antonio Minority Business Accelerator. She is also chair of the Women’s Opportunity Week at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce during which women are awarded the Brenda Vickery Johnson Women of Achievement award.
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 reforms. She is also Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has an AV rating by Martindale Hubble.
A 1979 under graduate of 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, 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.
View additional profile information on Cynthia Eva Hujar Orr on Lawyers.com
Click on the following link to see a full list of Cynthia’s Honors and Greatest Hits.
Speeches:
- The Post-Postville Conference, September 18, 2008, Kansas City, MO (attachment is OrrAndradePPT.pdf); Topic: Ethical Considerations Governing Multiple Representations, sponsored by The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The American Immigration Lawyers Association, The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project and the Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas City, Mo.
- Defending Drug Cases Seminar, November 13-14, 2008, Houston, TX (attachment is Forfeiture.pdf); Topic: Forfeiture, sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
- Defense Champions at Battle: Charging the Line, August 22-23, 2008, Nashville, TN (attachment is closing.arguments.pdf); Topic: Closing: It is YOUR Battlefield, YOUR Win, sponsored by the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT:
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.
U.S. Supreme Court reversed money laundering count in Moreno-Gonzalez v. U.S., No. 07-400 (2008).
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) and approximately 20% of our firm’s work is pro bono.
- Year Joined Organization:
- 1984
- Areas of Practice:
- White Collar Criminal Defense
- Cyber-Crimes Violations Defense
- Fraud (Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, Insurance Fraud, Mail Fraud)
- Money Laundering
- Espionage
- Import/Export Offense
- Trade Secret Theft
- RICO
- Litigation Percentage:
- 90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- Certification/Specialties:
- Board Certified in Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1994
- Bar Admissions:
- Texas, 1988
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1991
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1990
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1989
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 1991
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1992
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1996
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2006
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
- Education:
- St. Mary’s University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas, 1988
J.D.
- University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1979
B.B.A.
- Baylor University, Waco, Texas
- Published Works:
- The State of Criminal Justice, American Bar Association, 2009
- The State of Criminal Justice, American Bar Association, 2008
- The ABA Criminal Justice Standards for the Defense and Prosecution Function, American Bar Association, 2009
- Lost Power, Texas Lawyer, December 22, 2003
- Defending the Right to Defend, July/August, 2003
- After All, We Are Professionals, September, 2003
- The High Court Should Strike Down Laws Effecting a Power Grab by the Attorney General, October, 2003
- Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?, November, 2003
- We Don’t Need No Stink’n Privilege, December, 2003
- The “War on Drugs” and Other Follies, January/February, 2004
- Where Is The Court Going With the Fourth Amendment? Search Me…, April, 2004
- We Take No Note of Time But From Its Loss, May, 2004
- Evolving Standards of Decency: Support for the Death Penalty Is Waning and Habeas, Federal Court Review of New Evidence Procedurally Barred As An Abuse, Court of Criminal Appeals, June, 2004
- Representative Cases:
Moreno-Gonzales vs. U.S., No. 07-400 (U.S. Supreme Court 2008)U.S. vs. White, 258 F.3d 374 (5th Cir. 2001)State of Texas vs. Julian Hernandez, No. 89-CR-3036-B (Bexar County, Texas)State of Texas vs. Powell, No. 911, 524 (Travis County, Texas)State of Texas vs. Heredia, No. 90-CR-6371 (Bexar County, Texas)State of Texas v. Millard Farmer, et al,. Cr., No, 92-415, 861 and 92-425, 862 (72nd Judicial District Court, Lubbock County, Texas)In re Grand Jury Proceedings, Jean Auclair (Burton), No. 92-1116 (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit)U.S. v. Wilder, 15 F. 3d 1292 (5th Cir. 1994)Mauldin v. Coats, 1989 WL 139110 (Tex.App.-Tyler 1989)State of Texas vs. Martinez, No. 71-481 (Webb County, Texas)State of Texas vs. Moseley, No. 21-9234 (Gregg County, Texas)State of Texas vs. Armstrong, No. 92-CR-6425 (Bexar County, Texas)Ex parte Pedro Solis Sosa, No. W2 7729 (Atascosa County, Texas)
- Oscar Goodman, Witness-Petitioner vs. U.S. (Supreme Court 1993)
Millard Farmer, et al. vs. Randall Sherrod, et al., No. 2:93-CV-0017-J (United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas)U.S. vs. William Paul Covington (Moffitt/Zwerling), Cr. No. 91-00425-A (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia)
- John Doe, John Doe 1, John Doe II through John Doe VIII vs. U.S. (United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee)
Cable News Network, Inc., et al. vs. Manuel A. Noriega, et al., No’s. A-370 and 90-767 (Supreme Court of the United States 1990)U.S. vs. David Z. Chesnoff, No. 91-17-H-CCL (United States District Court for the District of Montana)In re Grand Jury Subpoena for Attorney Representing Criminal Defendant Jose Evaristo Reyes-Requena (DeGuerin), 926 F.2d 1423 (5th Cir. 1991)U.S. vs. Jose Orlando Lopez, et al., No. CR 89 0687 (United States District Court, Northern District of California)
- U.S. vs. In re Grand Jury Subpoena for Attorney Dan C. Guthrie (District Court, Criminal Court No. 2, Dallas County, Texas)
U.S. vs. B.B., No. 5:93-CR-056-C (Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division )In re Grand Jury Proceedings, No. SA-94-CR-69U.S. v. Hemmingson, 157 F.3d 347 (5th Cir. 1998)U.S. v. Martin, No. SA-95-CR-059 (Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division)State vs. Moreno, No. 90-CR-6371 (Bexar County, Texas)Ex parte Cathcart, No. 04-98-00231-CR (Bexar County, Texas)U.S. v. Richter, No. 2:97-CR-20048-001 (United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois)
- U.S. v. P.L. (Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division)
- U.S. v. White, 258 F.3d 374 (5th Cir. 2001)
- U.S. vs. B.W. (Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division)
U.S. vs. Moreno-Gonzalez, No. 05-14475 (11th Circuit 2007)U.S. vs. Barry, WL 2116426, C.A.5 (Tex.), NO. 05-20838 (2007)
- U.S. vs. JW (2009)
- State vs. Smith (2008)
- State vs. Smith (2009)
U.S. vs. Rana, No. MO: 04-CR-00003 (ND Texas 2007)In re Zapata, No. 01-CR-3607-W1 (2007)State of Texas v. Zapata, No. 2001-CR-3607 (290th Judicial District Court, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas)Davis vs. Zain, No. SA-94-CA-0094 (Bexar County, Texas)
- Honors and Awards:
- Texas Super Lawyers, Texas Monthly, 2003 – 2009
- Won First Confession of Error in a Capital Murder Case in TX, 2000
- Inducted into the San Antonio Womans Hall of Fame, 2006
- Best Lawyers in America White Collar Crime & Appellate, 2006 – 2009
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas, American Association for Justice, 2007 – 2010
- Best Lawyers in America, 2005 – 2010
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Presidential Award, 1994 – 1998
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Presidential Award, 2000 – 2001
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Presidential Award, 2003
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Board Resolution re: Cynthia Hujar Orr’s contribution to justice in the United States, July 31, 2009
- Presidential Recognition by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1999 – 2004
- Presidential Recognition by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2007 – 2008
- San Antonio Bar Association Presidential Award, 1998
- San Antonio Bar Association Presidential Award “Outstanding Service”, 2010
- San Antonio Business Journal: Women’s Leadership Award for Mentoring, 2009
- Featured in Texas Monthly Chosen as a Texas Super Lawyer by Peers, 2003 – 2010
- Featured in Scene in SA Monthly Chosen as One of the Best Lawyers in San Antonio by Peers, 2004 – 2010
- AVA Rated by Martindale-Hubble, 2006 – Present
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Past President
- The San Antonio Greater Chamber of Commerce
- Board of Directors
- American Bar Association, 1988 – Present
- Criminal Justice Council
- San Antonio Bar Association
- Co Chair, Criminal Law of the Fed. Ct.
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Past President
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1988 – Present
- President
- Past Employment Positions:
- Judge Emillo Garza, U.S. Courts, Western District of Texas, Law Clerk, 1988
- Pro Bono Activities:
- State vs. Estrada, 2008 – Present
- State v. Martinez, 1991 – 2000
- State v. Sosa, 1995 – Present
- Fraternities/Sororities:
- Delta Gamma
- Phi Alpha Delta