1999 | Mike Heiskell 

Mike Heiskell became president. 

Mike Heiskell was the first African-American elected as president of TCDLA. Mike had the opportunity to serve during a time when there were many transitions occurring. TCDLA had a new executive director and a new top editor of the Voice. During his presidency, TCDLA had over reached over 2,000 members and was becoming a more diverse association. A stay of execution was granted to Larry Keith Robison in 1999 pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus prepared and field by Robison’s appellate counsel and TCDLA members. Mike held himself to high standards to promote the association’s growth, setting goals to increase membership to 3,000 by 2001 and through maintaining faith in TCDLA’s ability to take charge in reforming the system during legislative sessions. Mike also avidly promoted increased diversity within the criminal defense realm, on the bench, on the jury, in the prosecutor’s office and in the defense bar.