Michael & Associates attorney appears in Oxygen true-crime series

Clifford Duke, a senior trial attorney in Michael & Associates’ Dallas office, appears in Season 3 of Oxygen’s Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler in an episode about the Jamie Faith murder case. The episode revisits the 2020 killing, the manipulation that prosecutors said led to it, and Duke’s defense of Darrin Lopez.

Why it matters: - The Oxygen episode puts a high-profile Dallas murder case back in the spotlight. - The appearance also highlights Michael & Associates’ trial work in serious criminal cases across North Texas. - The case shows how online deception and fabricated identities can shape real-world criminal proceedings.

What happened: - Clifford Duke, a senior trial attorney with Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Dallas office, appears in Season 3, Episode 2 of Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler. - The episode, titled "Deadly Deception," premiered October 10, 2026, on Oxygen and is available on Oxygen’s website. - The documentary examines the October 2020 murder of Jamie Faith, an American Airlines technology director who was shot while walking his dog with his wife outside his home in North Oak Cliff in Dallas. - Duke was working with the Dallas County Public Defender's Office when he represented Darrin Lopez in the murder case. - Lopez was convicted of murdering Jamie Faith in a killing prosecutors said was orchestrated by Jennifer Faith, the victim’s wife.

The details: - Duke said in the documentary, "Darrin Lopez was not a bad man. He was manipulated into doing a terrible thing." - Duke also described the case as "an absolute web of manipulation." - Investigators uncovered what the release described as an elaborate scheme involving fabricated identities, thousands of electronic messages and a long-distance relationship. - Jennifer Faith initially presented herself as a grieving widow who had witnessed a random shooting. - Investigators later concluded she used fake email accounts, impersonated other people and fabricated abuse allegations to convince Lopez she was in danger. - Federal prosecutors said Jennifer Faith also sent Lopez photos of injuries downloaded from the internet to support the false claims. - Jennifer Faith later admitted to orchestrating her husband’s murder and pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire. - A federal judge sentenced Jennifer Faith to life in prison in June 2022. - During Lopez’s July 2023 murder trial, Duke and the defense team presented evidence of Jennifer Faith’s manipulation of Lopez. - Lopez, an Army veteran, had suffered a traumatic brain injury during his military service. - Jurors convicted Lopez of murder and sentenced him to 62 years in prison. - Duke called the outcome "disappointing but understandable." - Duke said Lopez "felt an insane amount of remorse for ending that man’s life, not understanding that he’d been so thoroughly duped."

Between the lines: - The case drew national attention because it blended murder, impersonation, digital deception and a murder-for-hire prosecution. - Duke’s comments in the documentary frame Lopez as a manipulated participant, even though the jury still returned a murder conviction. - Ben Michael, founder and managing partner of Michael & Associates, said high-profile criminal cases underscore the importance of experienced trial representation and a vigorous defense.

What’s next: - Michael & Associates says Duke now serves as a senior trial attorney representing clients facing serious criminal charges in Dallas and throughout North Texas. - The firm says it is available for additional information or interview requests about Duke’s documentary appearance through media@zealousadvocate.com. - Michael & Associates, founded in 2022, says it continues to handle DWI, assault, domestic violence, drug offenses, theft, felony charges and other criminal allegations.

The bottom line: - The documentary spotlights both a widely watched murder case and the defense strategy behind one of its key trial lawyers.