About Stephen
Stephen T. Bowling founded Texas Defense Team with a perspective that most criminal defense attorneys cannot claim: he spent years on the law enforcement side of the courtroom before crossing to the defense.
As a police officer, Stephen learned how Texas law enforcement builds a case — the investigation protocols, the evidence standards, the decisions that prosecutors rely on, and the mistakes that officers make in the field that defense attorneys can use. When he became a criminal defense attorney, he brought that insider knowledge directly to his clients.
That perspective matters in practice. When Stephen reviews a DWI arrest, he is not just reading a police report — he is reading it the way the arresting officer wrote it, looking for the deviations from protocol that create suppression arguments. When he challenges a search, he understands the reasoning officers use to justify their actions, and where that reasoning breaks down under constitutional scrutiny.
Texas Defense Team is built around this foundation. Every attorney Stephen has brought to the firm has direct prosecutorial or public defense experience — Hayden Boudreaux, a former prosecutor in Hays and Travis Counties; Rafael Zapata-Yordán, a former public defender with deep experience representing defendants through the Texas criminal justice system; and Peter Prak, whose engineering background from Columbia University and law degree from NYU bring analytical discipline to complex cases.
Stephen Bowling represents clients in criminal defense, personal injury, and estate planning. He founded Texas Defense Team as a DBA — a standalone brand built on the reputation of the team and the approach they bring to every case.
Background & Credentials
- State Bar of Texas
- Former Texas law enforcement officer
- Criminal defense: 5 Texas counties
- Personal injury: statewide
- Estate planning: statewide
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it matter that Stephen Bowling is a former police officer?
As a former officer, Stephen Bowling understands exactly how Texas law enforcement builds a criminal case — the investigation protocols, the evidence decisions, and the procedural steps that prosecutors rely on. He also knows where those cases fall apart: unlawful stops, improper search procedures, field sobriety test administration errors, breathalyzer calibration failures, and chain-of-custody gaps. This insider knowledge is a real advantage in case evaluation and court.
What counties does Stephen Bowling handle criminal cases in?
Texas Defense Team handles criminal defense in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Bexar counties. Personal injury and estate planning are available statewide across all 254 Texas counties.
Can I contact Stephen Bowling directly?
Yes. Call (512) 599-9000 any time — we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no charge for the initial consultation.