Criminal Defense Division
Trusted Criminal Defense Attorneys
Someone just called you a criminal. Maybe it was a police officer who handcuffed you. Maybe it’s a prosecutor filing charges that could send you to prison. And every morning you wake up thinking: is this really my life now? Here’s what you need to hear: an arrest is not a conviction. What happens next is not predetermined. And the single most important decision you will make is who stands beside you. We investigate everything—the stop, the search, the evidence. We find what the prosecution hopes you’ll miss. And we build a defense around your actual life, not some legal theory. DWI. Assault. Felony charges in Bexar County. We’ve fought them all. We’re ready to fight yours.
Cases & Clients
5-Star Reviews
Jury Trials
Gary J Barton & AssociatesAttorneys at Law
The Barton & Associates Difference
If your freedom is on the line, do you want a lawyer who handles criminal cases on Tuesdays and real estate closings on Wednesdays? Neither would we. That’s why our Criminal Defense Division does one thing: criminal law. Every day. Every case. Whether you’re facing felony charges in Bexar County, a DWI that could end your career, or assault allegations that threaten your family—you get an attorney who eats, sleeps, and breathes Texas criminal defense. We investigate everything. We challenge every piece of evidence. And we build a defense around your actual life—not some legal theory. From our downtown San Antonio office to clients in Austin and Corpus Christi—that focus is the point. Your freedom deserves nothing less.
When you walk into a Bexar County courtroom with your freedom on the line, you want someone who’s been there before. Hundreds of times. Someone who knows which judge is presiding, what evidence they require, and how the prosecutor is likely to play it. That’s our criminal defense team. Decades inside these courthouses. Every attorney focused exclusively on criminal law—not cases on the side, but felony charges, DWI, assault, day in and day out. We investigate. We challenge. We build a defense around your actual life. Dismissal. Reduced charges. Not guilty. Those aren’t hopes—they’re the only outcomes we’re willing to accept. Your freedom deserves that.
You’ve read “we put clients first” on every law firm website you’ve visited. But you’re not looking for mission statements right now. You’re looking for someone who will actually stand beside you when the state is trying to take your freedom. So here’s our mission, translated: we don’t stop fighting until your case is over. Not until the prosecutor makes their best offer. Not until we’ve exhausted every motion. Until it’s over. Whether you’re facing felony charges in Bexar County, a DWI that could end your career, or assault allegations that threaten everything—we build a defense around your actual life. We challenge every piece of evidence. We leave nothing on the table. Dismissal. Reduced charges. Not guilty. Those aren’t just possibilities. They’re the only outcomes we’re willing to accept. That’s not a mission statement. That’s just what we do. And when your freedom is at stake, that’s what you deserve.
- Former Prosecuters on Staff
- Trial-Tested Attorneys
- Available 24/7 for Emergencies
- Clear, Honest Communication
San Antonio DWI & Criminal Defense Lawyer, Aggressive Representation
You’re not looking for a results page because you’re curious. You’re looking because someone you love—or maybe you—is facing charges that could destroy everything. And you need to know: has this firm actually won cases like mine? Not just settled. Not just negotiated. Actually won.
Here’s what we’ve done for people whose terror matched yours.
A client was facing the death penalty. Capital murder. The kind of case where most firms would have pleaded for mercy. We fought, and the entire case was dismissed. Not reduced. Dismissed.
Another client watched as prosecutors tried to add human trafficking charges to a sexual assault case—charges that would have meant decades in prison. We stopped them before they were even filed. Dismissed.
In Bexar County, we’ve had assault family violence cases rejected before charges were ever filed. Clients never saw a courtroom. Never had to explain an arrest to their employer. Never lost a night’s sleep to a mugshot online. Because we got to the prosecutor first.
Across Gillespie, Nueces, and Wilson Counties, DWI clients describe waking up every morning thinking about jail. Then they watched us challenge the stop, the tests, the science—and walked away with dismissals or pretrial diversions that kept their records clean. One client put it simply: “I got my life back.”
Assault cases—from bodily injury to family violence—have ended in “Not Guilty” verdicts and dismissals because we investigated what the state hoped everyone would ignore. Questionable evidence. Witnesses who changed their stories. Constitutional violations that made the whole case fall apart.
But here’s what surprises clients most. One told us Gary Barton answered calls on weekends and stood by them for 16 months until their case was dropped. Then, after it was over, he kept calling—offering advice on their business, their finances, their next steps. Not because he had to. Because he actually cares.
Another client called Anthony Rodriguez “literally a godsend”—available on weekends and evenings, explaining every step, fighting like his own freedom was on the line.
Over 1,000 cases. Countless jury trials. Decades inside Bexar County courthouses. But the number that matters most to you right now is this: one phone call.
We’ve fought capital murder dismissals. We’ve stopped trafficking charges before they started. We’ve kept records clean in DWI and assault cases across South Texas.
The question is: will you call before it’s too late?
You’re not choosing a law firm. You’re choosing the people who will stand between you and everything you’re afraid of losing. So you need to know: who are they? Have they stood where you’re standing? Do they know what it’s like to walk into a Bexar County courtroom with someone’s entire future in their hands?
Here’s who we are.
Every attorney in our Criminal Defense Division does one thing: criminal law. Not real estate on Tuesdays. Not personal injury on Thursdays. Felony charges, DWI, assault—every day, every case. That focus means when you’re facing the most serious allegations of your life, you’re not getting someone who’s guessing. You’re getting someone who’s done this hundreds of times.
We’ve spent decades inside San Antonio and Bexar County courthouses. We know which judges require absolute precision. We know which prosecutors actually negotiate and which ones only respond to trial pressure. We know how the other side builds their cases because some of us used to be them. That knowledge isn’t theoretical. It’s the difference between conviction and freedom.
But here’s what our clients tell us matters most. They come in terrified, lost, unsure if anyone can actually help. They leave describing the same experience: we listened. We explained things in plain language. We called them back. We made them feel like they weren’t alone.
Gary Barton has answered calls on weekends and stood by clients for over a year until their cases were dropped. Anthony Rodriguez has guided DWI clients through every step, available evenings and weekends, explaining the science and the strategy until they understood. Every attorney here fights for dismissals, for reduced charges, for not guilty verdicts—and they communicate every step of the way.
That’s not accidental. We chose this work because we genuinely care about people in crisis. When your freedom is on the line, we treat every decision like your future depends on it. Because it does.
And those deep roots in San Antonio? They matter because relationships matter. When we negotiate with prosecutors, they know we’re prepared to take the case to trial. When we file motions to suppress evidence, judges know we’ve done our homework. That reputation precedes us into every courtroom and every negotiation. Sometimes it means the other side offers a better deal. Sometimes it means they think twice before playing games. Either way, you benefit.
Our team brings different strengths. Some of us are trial lawyers who thrive in the courtroom. Others excel at finding weaknesses in the state’s evidence—illegal searches, unreliable witnesses, constitutional violations. But we’re united by one thing: rigorous, strategic advocacy wrapped in genuine human compassion. You don’t get one without the other here.
If you’re reading this right now, you’re probably imagining the worst. Prison. Losing your job. Your family’s name in the paper. We’ve walked hundreds of people back from those cliffs. Not with magic—with preparation, with local knowledge, with genuine care for the humans on the other side of the table.
From capital murder cases to misdemeanor charges, we bring decades of experience and a track record that’s earned hundreds of five-star reviews. But the credential that matters most isn’t on this page. It’s the phone call you make right now.
We’re ready. Not as your “legal representatives.” As your team. Standing beside you until you can breathe again.
Reputation matters when your freedom is on the line. But you’re not looking for a reputation because you’re curious—you’re looking because you need to know: can this firm actually help you? Have they done it before? Do people like you trust them with their future?
Here’s what our reputation actually means for you.
We’ve spent decades inside San Antonio and Bexar County courthouses, handling the cases that keep people up at night. Felony charges that carry prison time. DWI accusations that can end careers. Assault allegations that threaten everything you’ve built. Every case, every day, focused exclusively on criminal law—not because it’s convenient, but because it’s all we do.
But here’s what clients tell us matters most. When you contact us, you’re not a case number. You’re not a consultation slot. You’re a person whose life has just been turned upside down, and we treat you like one.
We listen until we understand what you’re really afraid of losing. Is it your freedom? Your job? Your reputation? Your family’s name? Then we build a strategy around protecting that.
We explain what’s happening in plain language—no jargon, no waiting weeks for updates, no feeling like you’re bothering us when you call.
And we answer. Evenings. Weekends. 2 AM when you can’t sleep. Because criminal charges don’t happen between 9 and 5.
That’s why hundreds of clients have left five-star reviews. Not just because we win—because we listen. Because we call back. Because we treat their fear with respect.
Our reputation with judges and prosecutors matters too—just not the way you might think. When we walk into the Bexar County Courthouse, the other side knows we’re prepared. They know we’ve taken cases to trial and won. They know we’re not afraid to fight.
That reputation means they offer better deals. They think twice before playing games. Sometimes they dismiss charges before they’re even filed. Either way, you benefit.
From capital murder dismissals to DWI cases resolved without a conviction, we’ve proven what’s possible. Not through magic—through preparation, through local knowledge, through genuine care for the humans on the other side of the table.
If you’re reading this right now, you’re probably imagining the worst. Prison. Losing your job. Your family’s name in the paper. Wondering if anyone can actually help.
We’ve walked hundreds of people back from those cliffs. We know the way.
Whether you’re under investigation, recently arrested, or preparing for trial—we’re ready. Not as your “legal representatives.” As your team. Standing beside you until you can breathe again.
Your freedom deserves that. And so do you.
Criminal Defense Practices
Criminal Law
San Antonio Criminal Defense
You weren’t swerving. You only had two drinks. You’ve done this drive a hundred times. But now blue lights are in your mirror, and everything you’ve worked for feels like it’s about to collapse. Your license. Your job. Your reputation. All because of one night. But here’s what the officer who arrested you probably got wrong. The traffic stop might have been illegal. Those field sobriety tests you “failed”? They’re notoriously unreliable. The breathalyzer? Often wrong. We find what the state hopes you’ll miss—improper procedures, faulty equipment, constitutional violations—and we use it to fight for dismissals, pretrial diversions, and reduced charges. You don’t have to accept a conviction. You just need someone who knows where to look.
A misdemeanor doesn’t feel minor when it’s your name on that court date. It feels like everything—because it is. Jail time. Fines you can’t afford. A record that follows you forever—showing up on background checks when you apply for jobs, apartments, even loans. One accusation, one bad night, and suddenly your entire future is in someone else’s hands. But here’s what the prosecution won’t tell you: these cases can be fought. We investigate everything—the arrest, the evidence, the witnesses. We challenge what doesn’t hold up. And we negotiate for dismissals, reduced charges, or alternatives that keep your record clean. Assault. Theft. Drug possession. DWI. The charge may be misdemeanor. The stakes are still your life.
The word itself changes everything: felony. It means prison—years of your life in a cell. It means losing your right to vote, to own a firearm, to qualify for jobs or housing. It means being labeled a felon forever, no matter how many years pass. One charge, and the life you built feels gone. But here’s what the district attorney isn’t telling you: their case has holes. The search might have been illegal. The witness might be lying. The evidence might have been mishandled.m We find those holes. Capital murder. Sexual assault. Drug trafficking. We’ve fought them all—and won dismissals, acquittals, charges rejected before indictment. Not through magic. Through exhaustive investigation and relentless advocacy. Your life isn’t over yet. Not even close.
- Sex Crimes
- White-Collar Crimes
- Juvenile Defense
- Probation Violations & Appeals
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Are You The Client For Us?
Contact Barton & Associates today for a free, confidential consultation about your legal matter. Complete this form to schedule a Free Consultation, or call us at 210-500-0000 to check attorney availability for an immediate phone consultation.
We are selective about the cases we accept because we treat our clients like family—with respect, dignity and unwavering commitment. In return, we expect the same courtesy. We do not tolerate rudeness toward our staff, and we will withdraw representation from any client who exhibits inappropriate behavior, dishonesty or attempts to mislead our team.
