Felony Trial Team - 219th

Cynthia Walker, Chief of the 199th District Court trial team, received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and her law degree from Baylor University School of Law in 2000. During law school, she served on the Baylor Law Review and interned at the McLennan County Criminal District Attorney's Office. Since joining the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in February 2000, Ms. Walker has served in the Crimes Against Children, Appellate, Civil, Misdemeanor Trial, and Felony Trial Divisions as well as the Special Prosecution Division. She has been board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2005.

Cynthia Walker - Ext. 4354; cwalker@co.collin.tx.us

Daniel Lewis received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Texas Tech University, graduating with honors in 2004.  He earned his Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in 2007.  While in law school, Mr. Lewis interned with the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and also participated in the SMU Legal Clinic Program.  He competed on the National Trial Competition team, Buffalo Mock Trial team, and Lone Star Mock Trial team.  Mr. Lewis began his career with the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in 2007 as a misdemeanor prosecutor and became a felony prosecutor in 2010.

Lauren Hopkins graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002 with her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and French.  Ms. Hopkins then worked for two years as a paralegal at the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, New York.  In 2007, she received her Juris Doctorate from the College of William & Mary.  While in law school, Ms. Hopkins served as an intern for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newport News, Virginia.  Following graduation from law school, Ms. Hopkins moved to Texas and joined the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in November 2007.

J.D. Spielman is an experienced criminal investigator who came to the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office from the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, where he worked as a felony investigator from 2005 to 2010.  Investigator Spielman was a criminal investigator for the Texas Lottery Commission from 2001 to 2005, working in Austin and Houston.  Prior to moving to Texas in 2001, he worked for the Carver County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota from 1987 to 2001.  His varied duties at the Sheriff's Office included patrol and investigations, an assignment to the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force, and S.W.A.T. 

Jody Lauden joined the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in 2000 and brought strong administrative skills as well as extensive private-sector experience.  She has used her administrative and technology skills to serve in many capacities within the Intake Section of the Grand Jury/Intake Division and the Misdemeanor Trial and Felony Trial Divisions.