About the Firm
Criminal Defense for People Who Take Their Charges Seriously
Chiles McGuire Criminal Law was founded on one principle: honest, ethical, aggressive and unrelenting legal representation at a transparent, upfront, fair price.
How We Work
One Price. A Limited Number of Cases.
We offer each client a single price they can rely on. What you pay at the start covers all legal services, including a trial, for each case. We take on a limited number of serious cases so we can devote the time, attention and resources each one demands.
- Grand jury packets before indictment
- Motions to suppress and to quash
- Our own investigation of the facts
- Trials and appeals across Texas
More Than Trial Work
We fight cases at trial. Before that, we also:
- Attempt to get cases refused prefile and preindictment by submitting grand jury packets
- Challenge law enforcement decisions through motions to suppress evidence, challenges to the validity of warrants and challenges to statements obtained unlawfully
- Challenge the legalities of the case through motions to quash indictments, motions to dismiss for speedy trial violations and other legal methods
- Challenge and limit evidence through motions in limine and motions to exclude evidence
- Conduct independent investigations, including preparing defense witnesses and preparing mitigation evidence
Our Attorneys
James T. Chiles, Founding Attorney
James T. Chiles has never represented anyone but the accused. He has handled hundreds of cases in more than twenty Texas counties, concentrated in Collin County and across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and his favorite charges to defend include family violence assaults.
Long before he was a lawyer, James argued for a living. He reached the quarterfinals of the National Debate Tournament as a college competitor and has coached multiple teams to State championships. He earned his JD from SMU Dedman School of Law, where he served as Chief of the SMU Criminal Justice Clinic, then worked as a post-bar intern with the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Northern District of Texas.
State Bar of Texas #24115062, licensed October 30, 2020. Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers Rising Stars and Avvo Client's Choice.
Patrick McGuire, Founding Attorney
Patrick McGuire started as a misdemeanor prosecutor at the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office, then became a felony prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, working in Criminal District Court No. 1 and on its Arson Team. Everything Patrick does is in anticipation of trial, which is why he and James include trials in their fees.
He attended the Arson and Explosives Investigation for Prosecutors course offered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. After more than three years as a prosecutor he moved to the defense, where his results include dismissals for many family violence cases.
Patrick grew up in Prosper, in Collin County, and studied Industrial Engineering at Texas Tech University before law school at SMU Dedman. Elite Lawyer 2026.
Eddie R. Mendoza, Attorney
Eddie R. Mendoza served as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division in Dallas and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas, where he led federal investigations, prosecutions and trials. He has served as first-chair trial counsel in multiple federal jury trials.
He represents clients in federal investigations and also in Texas state charges, including assault, family violence, DWI and theft. In 2024 the DOJ Tax Division gave him a Special Commendation Award.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Talk To An Attorney
Your Future Is on the Line. Call Today.
The decisions made after an arrest can shape what happens in negotiations, in court and long after the case is over. The consultation is free and confidential, and phones are answered 24/7.