RENÉ M. PEÑA
Partner / State Bar No. 00792752
René M. Peña, is the former District Attorney for 81st Judicial District, and served as the District Attorney for 12 years. Prior to becoming District Attorney, René was in private practice from 1995 to 2004. His practice included criminal and family law, real estate, wills and probate. In addition, René maintained a civil practice and has extensive litigation experience. René served as general counsel for the Floresville Economic Development Corporation and currently serves as General Counsel for Axon, a global cybersecurity corporation.
René also served as County Attorney for Wilson County. He served at the pleasure of Governor Perry and Governor Abbott in several federal, state and local inter-agency task forces and committees including: The Attorney General's Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force and as Chairman of the Texas Violence Gang Task Force. René served as President and Chairman of the Texas District & County Attorneys Association. He is a former member of the Timothy Cole Exoneration Review Committee and a former board member of the Texas Special Prosecution Unit. He founded and served as President of the Children's Alliance of South Texas. René worked at the State Capital to create legislation and policy and initiated the creation of the Texas Border Prosecution Unit (BPU), serving as Chairman.
A native of South Texas, René received an Associate of Applied Science in Public Administration from San Antonio College, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas.
Affiliations:
Texas State Bar Family Law Section;
Texas District and County Attorney Association
JENNIFER R. TAPIA
Partner / State Bar No. 24051413
With over 15 years of legal experience, Jennifer is a former criminal prosecutor and experienced criminal and civil trial attorney.
As a former felony prosecutor for the 81st Judicial District Attorney serving Atascosa, Frio, Karnes, La Salle and Wilson counties, she has experience handling serious cases such as murders, aggravated offenses, DWIs, and sexual offenses. She has won numerous jury trials. She was ultimately designated as the Border Prosecutor responsible for investigating and prosecuting organized criminal enterprise, human smuggling, drug offenses and weapons offenses. In 2016, working with the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, she investigated and prosecuted over 50 members of a human smuggling/human trafficking organization based in Elmendorf, Texas and operating throughout Texas.
Prior to joining the District Attorney's office, Jennifer worked for the Atascosa County Attorney's Office, where she served as Assistant County Attorney prosecuting misdemeanor offenses, juvenile misdemeanor and felony offenses, and family violence cases. She is a seasoned attorney in all levels of state criminal and civil courts.
As a civil litigator, Jennifer worked for the Thomas J. Henry Law Firm and The Davis Law Firm where she diligently fought to secure maximum settlements and the results her clients deserved. She has successfully litigated throughout Texas conducting depositions, mediations, hearings and trials.
Originally from California, Jennifer was raised in San Antonio. Jennifer is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station. She spent 6 years in the financial services industry working for Ford Motor Credit and Citicorp before attending law school at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
Affiliations:
Texas State Bar Construction Law Section;
Texas State Bar Criminal Justice Section;
Texas State Bar Family Law Section;
Texas State Bar Juvenile Law Section