In 1992 George Scharmen was certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of criminal law in Texas. In 1993 I was certified as a criminal law specialist in the area of criminal trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Later I became a founding member of the National College for DUI Defense. While my practice has been primarily criminal law in Central and South Texas and throughout the Southern United States, I have concentrated on DWI and intoxication cases during the last decade.

Over the years he has done ground-breaking work in the area of DWI defense involving breath and blood testing. His cases, such as Hartman v. State, 946 S.W.2d 60 (Tex.Crim.App. 1997); Mireles v. Tex. Dept. of Public Safety, 9 S.W.3d 128 (Tex. 1999); Mata v. State, 46 S.W.3d 902 (Tex.Crim.App. 2001) and Bagheri v. State, 87 S.W.3d 657 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2002, pet. granted November 6, 2002), have opened new avenues of defense in breath and blood test cases which previously were unavailable to the bar. In July, 2001 Lawyers Weekly USA reported that, as a result of my work in Mata v. State : "Drunk driving defense lawyers have more ammunition to get breath tests suppressed."

On the topic of breath testing Mr. Scharmen published a book entitled "Post-Mata DWI Practice" by Texas Courtroom Publicatons, and he continues to write papers and speak at seminars on this and other topics involving DWI defense.

HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS:

FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR DUI DEFENSE

TWO BOARD CERTIFICATIONS IN CRIMINAL LAW

CRIMINAL TRIAL ADVOCACY - BOARD CERTIFIED BY THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TRIAL ADVOCACY

CRIMIMAL LAW – BOARD CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS BOARD OF LEGAL SPECIALIZATION

FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATON.

AUTHOR AND FREQUENT LECTURER AND WRITER FOR CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION COURSES FOR THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS, THE TEXAS CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.

CURRENTLY PRACTICES ALL TYPES OF CRIMINAL LAW BUT HAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON DWI DEFENSE FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS.

RECOGNIZED BY THE LAWYERS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AS A “DWI SUPER LAWYER”

ACTIVELY PRACTICING IN ALL LEVEL OF COURTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS – TRYING JURY TRIALS WEEKLY.

NAMED AS ONE OF THE BEST CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS IN SAN ANTONIO 2006 BY SCENE IN SA MAGAZINE.

George was awarded Defender of the Year for 2004 by the San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and was selected as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Mr. Scharmen follows the same thorough technique in representing each client.