Tyler, Texas—A Tyler man recently received notice that his state charges were being dismissed and the underlying conduct is now being pursued by the U.S. Government. Lawhorn was retained on the case shortly after the defendant's arrest. At the core of the case was the defendant's actual innocence and Lawhorn initiated an investigation of his own into the witnesses and facts surrounding the incident.

Three witnesses were key to the dismissal of the State charges based upon Lawhorn's interview with them and their willingness to testify. The State's plea offer was 45 years.

Lawhorn orchestrated a Federal prosecution to replace the State prosecution. “It seems counterintuitive to induce a federal prosecution of a case, but in this matter, it allowed us to face the Federal Sentencing Guidelines on what the defendant actually did, not face charges he was truly innocent of.  It also caps our punishment at 5 years max.  Sometimes limiting the exposure the client with a case is just as important as winning it,” Lawhorn said.