Houston criminal defense attorney Mike Driver was charged with murder after he shot his roommate and longtime friend, Jesse Reyes, inside a Boulevard Oaks home shortly before midnight on June 27. He fired one shot into Reyes’ chest after an argument, then called 911 and told dispatchers that Reyes had been trying to gouge out his left eye.
The two men were best friends, and Reyes served as Driver’s bodyguard. Neighbors said the house had occasional conflicts and a steady flow of people moving in and out. A woman who identified herself as Angela had known both men for years and had not seen serious conflict between them; she was at the home after Driver’s arrest to clean up the area.
Reyes’ girlfriend said he had been in the process of moving out and left behind two young children. She wants Driver prosecuted. ABC13 identified Reyes as 48, while another local report listed him as 45.
Driver is being represented by at least three defense attorneys, including Jed Silverman, who called the case a serious self-defense matter. Michael Stuart Driver is the principal attorney of Driver Law Firm and has run the practice for seven years.
The shooting has also created a conflict for prosecutors. Because Driver’s brother, Stephen Driver, works as grand jury division chief in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the office moved to recuse itself, and the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office is expected to take over. Under Texas Penal Code Section 9.32, deadly force is justified only when a person reasonably believes it is immediately necessary to protect against unlawful deadly force or certain violent felonies.
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