our heroes: LEGAL EAGLES
Deborah Kernan —
The Formidable Advocate
BY MARSHA BROWN and MISTY BROWNING
K
on a leisurely drive through Parker
County.
“I would tell someone pulled
over what I would tell my own kids:
nobody searches your car without a
warrant. You don’t do anything, like
a sobriety test, without a warrant.
The more you say yes to, the more
evidence they have. They have to get
a warrant to even draw blood due to
it being a search and seizure to do
it. Most people don’t think that they
have a choice, and they do. The best
case to defend is one who hasn’t
blown, given blood, or given a sobri-
ety test.”
Kernan also knows the public
misconceptions about attorneys and
law enforcement being in cahoots
with one another in a small town, and
is quick to tell people to not always
believe what you see on television,
especially when it comes to Parker
County.
The benefits of having a Parker
County lawyer when a client’s case
is in Parker County are endless, but
Kernan says that it’s a great place
to work for her because of the great
people she works with on a daily
basis.
“It’s a benefit to know the ins and
outs in Parker County, and everybody
respects the job that each has to do.
Very few people are offended at you
for doing your job here. It’s nice.”
A few years ago, Kernan made a
run at a judge’s seat. She didn’t get
it. She’s not disappointed, not in the
least. “I’m where I’m supposed to
be,” she said. “I believe I was always
supposed to be an advocate. I enjoy
fighting for my clients.”
tougher here, than in Tarrant or
Dallas Counties. It helps tremendous-
ly if your attorney knows those things,
knows her way around the judicial
system here. Parker County is not a
cakewalk. People tend to expect it to
be. We [have] a small-town mental-
ity, with very traditional values. We
have a highly competent DA. As
tough as they can be, they are equally
as fair.
“We [Parker County attorneys]
know how things work here, and how
to get things done. It helps to know
who to call to know where the case
is, which detectives have it, or to call
the jail and ask if they can help with
an issue. It is a great benefit to my
clients,” she said.
It also helps that her office is situ-
ated across the street from the Sheriff
Larry Fowler Law Enforcement Center
(the jail). It’s convenient to be able to
pop in and help a client who might
be spending some time behind bars
before the trial. Even though she loves
practicing criminal law, there are still
every day challenges she deals with.
“The biggest challenge is having
someone tell me that they are inno-
cent, and having to prove that. Those
are way harder than those who are
guilty and don’t want to go to jail.
Harder, but rare. There is a fine line
in caring about the client and fighting
for their case. Whether my client did
it or not, the law enforcement and
DA’s office are doing their job [and]
it’s my job to hold them account-
able.”
She also has great advice for all
potential clients who might see the
old red and blue lights in the mirror
ernan is not native to Parker
County, but she can’t imagine
practicing law anywhere else. Born in
San Antonio, Deborah Kernan began
her career in law in 1993 as a crimi-
nal prosecutor and left in 1997 to
establish the Kernan Law Firm.
“I’m a much better advocate than
I was a prosecutor,” Kernan said.
“My first job was at the DA’s office
in Tarrant County, and I did that for
three years. I started in misdemeanor,
then I prosecuted in the juvenile
court, then went to felony court, and
in front of the grand jury, includ-
ing capital murders, but no death
penalty.”
Kernan loves living and working
in Parker County, even though there
are fewer female attorneys than other
counties.
“I love Parker County, so I feel
like I’m spoiled to be able to practice
out here and make a living. It’s been
home for a long time and [it’s] nice to
practice in my hometown,” she said.
With Parker County growing by
leaps and bounds, trouble is when
people who are new to Parker County
are facing a legal issue, they’re
inclined to turn to lawyers from their
old stomping grounds. “Big mistake,”
Kernan said. She’s adamant that if you
have legal issues in Parker County
it’s important to have a lawyer who
has extensive experience practicing
in Parker County, instead of going to
neighboring Hood, Tarrant and Wise
counties or — heaven forbid, Dallas.
“We’re tough here in Parker
County. The DA’s office is tough
here and very different from Tarrant
County,” Kernan said. “Juries are
Deborah
Kernan is a
strong defense
lawyer who
is tougher
than Parker
County.
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