Peter A. Schulte, a born Texan and Dallas native, brings experience unmatched in this campaign.   Pete has seen the legal system on all sides… he’s been a police officer, a prosecutor, and a defense attorney.


Pete became a licensed Texas Peace Officer at 20 years old while a student at Texas A &M University in College Station, Texas.  While a peace officer, Pete served in many roles.  Pete spent time “working the streets,” and then began to investigate Computer Crimes as a Computer Forensic Investigator for the McKinney, Texas Police Department.  Under Pete’s leadership, the McKinney Police Department became one of the first police departments in North Texas to have the software and tools to handle their own cases involving electronic evidence.  Many other police departments began to rely on Pete to help them in investigations that required the acquisition of electronic evidence. 

Pete also has experience drafting policies and procedures specifically for police departments. These policies and procedures were drafted with the safety of citizens in mind, yet allowing the police officers to have discretion in their work.  This experience gives Pete invaluable knowledge of the politics of police departments and how policies and procedures can effect officer’s decisions and actions.


In his last year with the McKinney Police Department, Pete served as the department’s Public Information Officer (PIO).  In this role, Pete was an official spokesman for the police department, most notably handling the media inquires and press conferences related to the quadruple homicide that occurred in McKinney on March 12, 2004.  The “Truett Street Murders” captured national media attention, with Pete appearing on several national and local news stations for several weeks.  Several local television stations still continue to contact Pete to comment on local legal and police related issues. 

After law school, Pete began his legal career as a criminal defense attorney, specifically DWI Defense, while working as an associate attorney for a successful Dallas DWI defense firm.  Pete then left private practice and became a prosecutor for the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.  While an Assistant District Attorney, Pete was able to develop new unique ways to handle all types of criminal cases, in addition to training both police officers and fellow prosecutors. 


At the end of 2006, while a prosecutor, Pete developed and organized what is now referred to as the “Regional DWI Initiative.”  The goal of this Initiative was to have a regional task force comprised of both prosecutors and experienced DWI enforcement police officers who met on a regular basis for issues discussion and training.  Pete left the District Attorney’s Office as a Chief Prosecutor at the end of August 2007 to explore a potential bid for Dallas County, Texas Sheriff.  As a result, Pete formed the law firm of Schulte & Koch, PLLC, with fellow law school classmate and former Prosecutor Justin “JJ” Koch. 


Today, Pete has become widely recognized as an expert in 4th Amendment law, specifically as it relates to policing, and continues to teach area police officers arrest, search, and seizure law at police academies across the state.  Pete also continues to maintain both his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) Instructor License and his Peace Officer License.  Currently, Pete is commissioned as a reserve police officer for the City of Murphy, TX Police Department in southern Collin County.


Pete also is very involved in organizations and associations.  In his last year of law school at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Pete was elected to serve as the student body president of the law school.  In this role, Pete was the voice of the students to the legal community of Dallas, Texas and to bar associations across the country, which included many public speaking engagements.


Pete also maintains an active leadership role in the American Bar Association, where he serves on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Division Lawyers’ Conference.  In this elected position, Pete works with Judges from across the country on issues from jury selection to judicial independence.  Pete has worked and met with many state and federal judges from across the country.


Pete also maintains membership in the Dallas Bar Association, the Dallas County Democratic Party and Young Democrats, the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, and the Texas Young Lawyers Association.