Meet Joseph

Joseph was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in a multi-generational household, being raised by his mother and maternal grandparents in Aldine. He attended St. Thomas High School before going on to Texas A&M University, where he graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics—becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree.

While at Texas A&M, Joseph became involved with CARPOOL, the country’s oldest safe-ride program, which provided free, non-judgmental rides home to people across Brazos County. That experience was the beginning of his lifelong commitment to community service. It also gave him the opportunity to work closely with university officials on the risk management challenges involved in CARPOOL’s weekly operations—teaching him not only how to understand those issues, but how to put that knowledge into practice in real time. That work first sparked his interest in attending law school.

Joseph went on to earn his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston in May 2012, becoming the first in his family to graduate from law school. After passing the Texas Bar Exam later that year, he began his career in public service at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in April 2013. During his time in the trial bureau, he handled a wide range of misdemeanor and felony cases, including domestic violence cases, robberies, murders, and sexual assaults involving both adults and children, and practiced in nearly every district and county court in Harris County. He also routinely works intake, where he advises officers by phone on whether sufficient probable cause exists to file a criminal charge, helping ensure that the cases accepted for prosecution are legally and factually supported from the outset.

In 2018, he transitioned from trial work to post-conviction litigation, where he investigates challenges to convictions, including claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, flawed forensic science, and actual innocence. That work has not only deepened his understanding of criminal defense practice, but has also allowed him to further hone his investigative skills and expand his knowledge of the law. He returned to the trial bureau in 2019, where he was promoted to chief prosecutor, and in 2021 returned to post-conviction litigation, where he continues his work today. In 2023, his experience across these different areas of criminal law was recognized when he earned Board Certification in Criminal Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Outside of his work as a prosecutor, Joseph remains deeply committed to serving the community. He volunteers with the Houston Bar Association at The HAY Center, which supports young adults transitioning from foster care, and he teaches criminal procedure to new cadets at the Houston Police Department Academy. When he is not working or volunteering, Joseph enjoys CrossFit, spending time with his dog Sophie, and traveling with his partner.

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