Attorney Advertising. This profile is independent editorial content produced by Awesome Attorneys and is not a paid placement. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship. See our Methodology and Publisher Disclosure below.

The Martinez Law Firm: A Former Harris County Chief Prosecutor and Municipal Judge Now Defending DWI Cases

Herman Martinez spent 1997 to 1999 as Chief Prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office before later serving as an Associate Judge for the City of Houston Municipal Courts — a documented prosecution-and-bench background that few Houston DWI defense attorneys can claim, now applied from the defense side at his own Houston firm.

At a Glance

Origin and Background

Herman Martinez built a career spanning all three seats in a Harris County courtroom: prosecutor, judge, and now defense attorney. He served as Chief Prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 1999, later serving as an Associate Judge for the City of Houston Municipal Courts, before founding his own DWI and criminal defense practice at 2617 Canal St in Houston. He is a Member in Good Standing of the State Bar of Texas.

Practice Concentration

The firm concentrates on DWI defense — first offense through felony repeat offenses, intoxication assault, and ALR license hearings — alongside broader criminal defense including drug crimes, assault, domestic violence, and sex crimes. See this Houston DWI/DWI Defense directory for how this prosecutor-and-judge background compares to other Harris County defense practices. Martinez is NHTSA-certified in the same Standardized Field Sobriety Test protocols — the Walk-and-Turn, One-Leg Stand, and Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus — that Houston-area police officers are trained to administer, a specific technical credential distinct from general trial experience.

Track Record

The firm’s published case results include a dismissed DWI following a challenged breath test, a dismissed second-offense DWI following improperly administered field sobriety tests, a felony fourth-offense DWI reduced to first-time offender status, a dismissed murder charge in Harris County, and a not-guilty jury verdict on an aggravated sexual assault charge. These are firm-published, self-reported results and have not been independently re-verified against court dockets by this profile; past results do not guarantee similar outcomes, and every case depends on its own specific facts.

Client Voice

Herman Martinez holds a 10.0 Avvo rating across 79 reviews and a 4.8-star average across 305 Google reviews. Reviewers repeatedly describe direct access to Martinez personally rather than a paralegal or case manager, clear explanation of the process at each stage, and successful minimization of required court appearances. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a pattern of negative or unresolved reviews warranting disclosure.

Beyond the Courtroom

Martinez’s prior public service as both a Harris County prosecutor and a City of Houston municipal judge represents direct institutional experience inside the system he now defends clients against, distinct from private practice alone. He also provides full bilingual representation in English and Spanish across every stage of a case.

Recognition

Martinez’s Board Certification in DUI Law (DUI Defense Lawyers Association) and Board Certification in Criminal Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization) are independently administered credentials, not self-styled titles. His NHTSA certification in field sobriety testing protocol is a specific technical credential verifiable through the training body rather than a marketing designation. Awesome Attorneys notes his “Best Business 2026” recognition from ThreeBestRated.com and “Top Attorney” recognition from H Texas Magazine are business-rating and publication placements, distinct in character from the two board certifications and NHTSA credential above.

Texas Legal Backdrop

A Texas DWI arrest triggers two separate proceedings: the criminal case, and a civil Administrative License Revocation (ALR) case against the driver’s license, with only 15 calendar days from arrest to request the ALR hearing before an automatic suspension takes effect — 90 days for a failed test, 180 days for a refusal. Under Texas Penal Code §49.04–§49.09, penalties escalate from a Class B misdemeanor on a first offense to a third-degree felony on a third or subsequent offense, with further enhancement for a child passenger under 15, intoxication assault, or intoxication manslaughter. None of this is legal advice; anyone facing a DWI charge should consult a licensed Texas attorney about the specific facts of their case.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

The Martinez Law Firm’s clearest, most checkable differentiator is Herman Martinez’s institutional background on both sides of the Harris County courtroom — prosecutor, then judge, then defense attorney — combined with dual board certification and an NHTSA field-testing credential that lets him identify specific procedural deviations in how a stop or test was administered. The honest trade-off: the firm’s published case results are self-reported rather than independently re-verified by this profile, and as with any solo-attorney practice, prospective clients should confirm directly whether Martinez personally handles the case day-to-day. For a Harris County client who wants an attorney with direct prosecutorial and judicial insight into how these cases are actually built and tried, that combination is a genuine, checkable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from The Martinez Law Firm’s official website (martinezlawhouston.com), including its published attorney background, board certification credentials, case results, and independently confirmed Avvo and Google review data.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by The Martinez Law Firm prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.