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MILITARIZED POLICE NO KNOCK SEARCHES KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE
Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Expanding “No Knock” Powers of the Police and Insulating Law Enforcement Abuses Allow a Growing Police State
By: Houston Criminal Lawyer John Floyd and Paralegal Billy Sinclair
We are no fans of “no knock” searches by the police, especially those launched by militarized SWAT units. We made this clear after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding police powers to conduct such searches. We don’t like them because they kill innocent people indiscriminately. We have permitted our law enforcement agencies to become so militarized that “no knock” searches increased from 3,000 in 1981 to 50,000 in 2005, according to Eastern University of Kentucky criminologist Paul Kraska, and have resulted in the deaths of 40 innocent people during that time, according to the Washington-based Cato Institute. Peter Guither, with Drug War Rant, places the number of innocents killed in “no knock” searches at 42.
One of those innocent people gunned down by the police was 44-year-old substitute Sunday school teacher Cheryl Noel who kept a registered gun in her bedroom. Nine years earlier her 16-year-old stepdaughter had been killed in a shooting which led Noel to purchase a weapon for self-protection. On June 2, 2011 the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Noel v. Arston, rejected claims by her estate that they were entitled to civil damages under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983.
The Noel tragedy began in October 2004 when a Baltimore County police officer noticed a white dusty power inside a bag in Matthew Noel’s vehicle during a routine traffic stop. The 18-year-old Noel lived at home with his parents Cheryl and Charles. He admitted to the traffic stop officer that he had a “Percocet abuse problem.” The traffic stop officer passed this information on to the Baltimore County narcotics department. Sgt. Robert Gibbons initiated a surveillance of the Noel residence, examining the trash thrown away by its occupants each day. Why law enforcement officials decided to conduct such an intensive investigation based on nothing more than white dust powder in a vehicle driven by an 18-year old who admitted to having a drug abuse problem has never been made clear in the public record.
What is clear is that Gibbons found marijuana and other drug paraphernalia in the trash which was sufficient for him to apply for and secure a search warrant of the Noel residence on January 19, 2005—some three months after the traffic stop discovery of the white dust powder. Gibbons then discussed the search with Baltimore County SWAT supervisors who decided that a “no knock” entry was appropriate.
We cannot fathom why marijuana and drug paraphernalia found in the Noel’s trash warranted a “no knock” search by a SWAT team. All the police had was an 18-year-old kid with a Percocet drug abuse problem and some marijuana found in the trash. These are not indicators of a major narcotics ring operating out of the residence that would react violently if served with a routine search warrant during the light of day. SWAT supervisors justified the “no knock” entry based on the following three reasons as articulated by the Fourth Circuit: 1) Charles Noel had a thirty year old second degree murder conviction; 2) in December 2004 Matthew Noel had been charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with shooting a man in the foot at a convenience store, even though the charge had been reduced to first degree assault; and 3) there were guns registered to Cheryl Noel and her other son Jacob at the residence.
These three factors notwithstanding, we still find it difficult to accept that a “no knock” entry was justified. There was no evidence that Charles Noel had engaged in any kind of violence since his three decades old second degree murder conviction; or that Matthew Noel had a history of violence outside shooting a person in the foot; or that either Cheryl or Jacob Noel had any criminal history. One thing is certain: not one person living in the Noel residence had ever demonstrated any violence toward the police. As a matter of fact, Matthew Noel had been cooperative with the police during the October 2004 traffic stop in which he admitted to having a substance abuse problem.
Clearly, from our point of view, there was nothing to justify 15 SWAT team officers at 4:30 a.m. going to the Noel residence on January 21, 2005 and breaching the front door with a “battering ram” followed by the use of a “flash grenade” outside the residence “to distract the occupants momentarily.” The SWAT team supervisors stated that one of the officers announced “Police – Search Warrant” as soon as they entered the residence, and continued with that announcement until officers reached the bedroom of Cheryl and Charles. Charles Noel and his neighbors would later testify that they heard the grenade explosion but no police announcements about a search warrant.
Less than five seconds after the SWAT team entered the Noel residence Officer Carlos Arston rushed into the bedroom where, according to Arston, Cheryl was “spinning toward him holding a revolver.” Officer Artson fired two shots, one of which struck Cheryl in the right breast and the other in her left shoulder. She slumped to the floor near the foot of the bed.
Then, according to Officer Artson, he ordered Cheryl several times to drop the gun and she released it “only eight inches from her right arm.” All the witnesses agreed, including Charles, that Artson told Cheryl to move her hand away from the gun, but Charles vigorously disputed Artson’s assertion that Cheryl “looked like she’s trying to make a choice, make a decision” before she moved her hand back toward the gun at which time the officer shot her in the chest, killing her. A coroner testified that Cheryl could have survived the first two wounds but not the third because the bullet “pierced her heart.”
Cheryl Noel’s estate brought a civil rights lawsuit against Artson and the other SWAT team officers claiming they had violated Cheryl’s Fourth Amendment rights by 1) failing to knock and announce their presence; 2) executing the search warrant unreasonably; and 3) using excessive force. A nine-day jury trial resulted in a “not guilty” verdict against the officers. The central issue on appeal centered on the district court’s charge to the jury. Attorneys for the Noel estate argued that the third shot fired by Officer Artson was unreasonable; that the district court committed reversible error by not giving the following charge relative to the reasonableness of Artson’s third shot:
“Even if you decide that the initial use of force was reasonable … you must also consider whether the third shot was reasonable use of force. The force used at the beginning of the encounter may not be justified even seconds later if the justification for the initial use of force has abated.”
We agree that the charge was essential to the Noel estate’s argument that the third shot was unreasonable; that it was “excessive force.” Officer Artson had shot Cheryl twice—once in the breast and again in the shoulder. She had slumped to the floor and heeded the officer’s demand to drop the weapon. She was seriously wounded at that point. All Officer Artson had to do was quickly move in and kick the gun out of Cheryl’s reach. But the officer would have us to believe that after Cheryl heeded his order to drop the weapon, she looked like she was trying to make a decision about whether to pick the weapon back up. We don’t believe that.
When Artson and other SWAT team officers rushed into the Noel bedroom, the couple did not know who they were or what their intent was. Cheryl armed herself for self-protection, but after Artson shot her twice, it can reasonably be assumed she understood then that Artson was a cop. It defies logic that after she heeded the officer’s instruction to drop the weapon that she would reach for it again, especially after having already been shot twice and facing Artson’s automatic weapon pointed directly at her.
While central and collateral facts of this case were in serious dispute, the one fact not in dispute was Officer Artson’s decision to fire the fatal shot into Cheryl’s chest. The only basis he had for firing that fatal shot was his assertion that Cheryl “looked like” she was trying to make a decision about whether to pick up the weapon and continue the confrontation. First, as we have stated, we do not believe a “no knock” entry by a SWAT team was justified; and, second, there is no way we can accept that Officer Artson was justified in firing that third, and fatal, shot into Cheryl’s chest. The failure of the trial court to give the third shot instruction requested by Cheryl’s attorneys allowed the jury to decide the case solely on the initial confrontation when Artson entered the bedroom and encountered an armed Cheryl when, in fact, the entire case for excessive force centered on the third and fatal shot.
The Cheryl Noel tragedy is not an isolated incident. In 2006 members of the Atlanta police department planted marijuana on Fabian Sheats, a suspected street dealer. They told the Sheats they would let him go if he “gave them something.” The dealer told them he had saw a kilogram of cocaine in a nearby residence, providing the police with the address of “the elderly spinster Kathryn Johnston” who had never used or sold drugs and who, in fact, lived in terror of break-ins in her “crime-infested neighborhood.”
Armed with the information supplied by the drug dealer, the police then lied to a judge claiming they had purchased drugs at the Johnston residence in order to secure a “no knock” warrant. They then used a battering ram to knock down Johnston’s reinforced metal door. All Ms. Johnston knew was that unknown people were breaking into her residence. She naturally fired a bullet into the roof of her porch which injured no one. The police responded with 39 rounds from their automatic weapons, striking Ms. Johnston five times and wounding fellow members of the assault team with five rounds. The police would lie again, saying that Ms. Johnston had fired the five shots that wounded the officers.
As Ms. Johnston lay mortally wounded in a pool of blood on the floor, the police handcuffed her and then searched her residence, and upon finding no drugs, they planted three bags of marijuana in the residence. The police were not finished. The next day they picked up an informant named Alex White and told him they needed for him to lie, saying he purchased cocaine at Johnston’s house. White refused, broke away from the police, and took the story to the local media. Two of the officers were subsequently indicted and pled guilty to manslaughter, prompting an investigation by the FBI into corruption in the Atlanta police department and forcing Police Chief Richard Pennington to transfer the entire narcotics squad “to other duties.”
A year after the brutal murder of Kathryn Johnson Cato Institute analyst Radley Balko produced a white paper titled “Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America.” Balko concluded that “no knock” raids by SWAT teams “terrorize innocents when police mistakenly target the wrong residence. And they have resulted in dozens of needless deaths and injuries, not only of drug offenders, but also of police officers, children, bystanders, and innocents.”
Charles P. Garcia, in a 1993 Columbia Law Review article titled “The Knock and Announce Rule: A New Approach to the Destruction-of-Evidence Exception,” traced the origin of the “no knock” policy to the Nixon administration in 1970 when the president, who had declared the so-called “war on drugs,” instructed his Justice Department to lobby Congress to create a “comprehensive anti-drug strategy” which included a “no knock” search warrant provision. The “no knock” experiment lasted only four years before a legion of “horror stories” were disclosed in the media, including the New York Times, about innocent people being subjected to violent and illegal raids by federal, state and local police which prompted the demise of the experiment.
But President Ronald Reagan’s “war on crime” in the 1980s and the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on 9/11 returned the “no knock” strategy as a major tool for law enforcement agencies in both the “war on crime” and “war on terror.” But the “no knock” strategy had an unintended consequences—it created a new crime called “home invasion.” Criminals believed that if the police could kick down doors in search of illegal drugs and money, they could do the same, frequently disguising themselves as “the police” in the process. Residents in both crime-infested urban neighborhoods and middle/upper class suburban neighborhoods soon realized they were the most vulnerable to these “home invasions.” They began to arm themselves, heavily, as they encouraged state legislatures to enact defense of one’s castle with use of deadly force laws, including the State of Texas.
Today there are between 70,000 to 80,000 “no knock” search warrants executed in this country each year. As Radley Balko said in his “Overkill” article: “Police typically serve these warrants just before dawn, or in the hours just before sunrise. They enter the residence unannounced or with very little notice. The subjects of these raids then, are awoken from deep sleep, and their waking thoughts are confronted with the prospect that their homes are being invaded. Their first reaction is almost certainly alarm, fear, and a feeling of peril. Disorienting devices like flashbang grenades only compound the confusion … It isn’t difficult to see why a gun owner’s first instinct upon waking to a raid would be to disregard whatever the intruders may be screaming at him and reach for a weapon to defend himself. This is particularly true of someone with a history of violence or engaged in a criminal enterprise like drug dealing. But it’s also true of a law-abiding homeowner who legally owns guns for the purpose of defending his home and family.”
In fact, on June 10, 2011 the Houston Chronicle reported that 53-year-old Lt. Donald Hamilton with the Houston Police Department shot two of the three men trying to invade his residence as he was getting dressed for work. The natural instinct is to shoot to kill anyone trying to invade your home. That’s what Cheryl Noel and Kathryn Johnston did. These two women died, not resisting arrest but defending their castle as Lt. Hamilton did. As John Whitehead said in his 2003 article “No Knock-Knock”:
“Incidents like these used to outrage people, but they barely make headlines anymore. Unwilling to learn about their rights, the American people have continued to relinquish them to the so-called ‘guardians of the peace.’ So it is somewhat understandable that police officers think they have tacit approval to act in such a way… Yet to paraphrase James Madison, one of the greatest minds in American history, if all men were angels, no government would be necessary. But the fact is all men are not angels. That’s why the founding fathers drafted the Constitution as a contract to hold the government accountable in respecting the rights of the people—and vice versa.”
We could not have said it better. We have continuously warned against the militarization the nation’s law enforcement agencies which have placed us all under a virtual “police state.” The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding the “no knock” powers of the police, and the Fourth Circuit’s decision in the Noel case insulating the police when they abuse the “no knock” powers, are evidence of a growing police state in this country—a state that will eventually erode away the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our sacred court system.
By: Houston Criminal Attorney John Floyd and Paralegal Billy Sinclair
John Floyd is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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Testimonials
John T. Floyd Law Firm
3730 Kirby Drive # 750, Houston
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I’ve never been one to write reviews but this time I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say something. I had some serious legal questions I needed answers to concerning Texas laws. … More Being I’m from another state, I found and reached out to Attorney John Floyd for the answers. Mr Floyd listened to to my requests and told me what he need from me and went out of his way to get me the answers. Very polite, straightforward and professional, I can’t thank him enough for all he’s done. Whatever your legal case may be, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mr Floyd.
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Mr. John was very helpful and truly was the reason why my case was dismissed. Thank you so much Mr. John I truly recommend everyone in need to work with him.
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This law firm is diligent, responsive and succeeded in getting my case dismissed. 10/10 would recommend.
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John is an amazing person and lawyer who is actually very understanding of how anxious I got and although it was hard to reach him sometimes because of his schedule, but never worry … More he is on top of things. He is very organized, very smart. I had the experience to go through a trial with him, and he always plans ahead well and is actually open and receptive to any ideas and comments I had and he was quick to decide which is right to use at the moment. I really appreciated working with him and Chris. Great lawyers and great people. As I was reminded by John, I am adding that the Jury reached a not guilty decision on the original charge and on a lesser charge in just 25 minutes. It took more time to write the charge and instructions for the jury than it took them to reach a decision.
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Highly recommend John T Floyd law firm, great response time and demeanor.I was researching an on-going criminal case, when I found an informative article written by John Floyd (about … More the perils of expert testimony). I called his office, and was very pleased to receive a timely call back. Not only was Mr. Floyd candid and helpful, but he had the kindest demeanor of any attorney that I've dealt with. I am so glad to have found this firm.
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Although I am not a client, John Floyd contacted me the same day I sent an email requesting advice, answered my questions and even when further to assist with my issue and communicated … More with me the next day. A true credit to his profession and I can only imagine how well he provides services to his actual clients!
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I give Mr. Floyd 10 Stars if they were available so I'm giving him five that's all that's available. The first time I left a message for him it was on a Friday after … More 5 p.m. and within 15 minutes he called me back I told him I needed to buy a lotto ticket because that has never happened. I knew from our chat and him calling me back that he was different from any attorney I've tried to talk to left messages never got called back they didn't even know what I needed and neither did Mr. Floyd but he did call me back. I was very interested in meeting with mr. Floyd about my case because I felt he was very transparent honest and genuine. If you've ever dealt with attorneys they don't have those traits but Mr. Floyd does. He was very honest with me told me what I could and could not do with my case. He is not egotistical he's very compassionate and he actually reads the documents you sent him unbelievable that's never happened. He will be the only lawyer I refer to anyone that needs his expertise. If you're in need of a criminal defense attorney please give John T Floyd a call you will not be disappointed.
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Mr John is a great human being and a very knowledgeable attorney. He has always called me back promptly,advised me very clearly and never rushed our conversation. i was wrongfully accused … More and Mr John had my case DISMISSED!! on the day of trial after fighting for me for two years. I am very thankful to the John T. Floyd Law Firm. You will not go wrong with John. Mr John you deserve way more then 5 stars.Thank youShaikh.
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John Floyd Law Firm is highly recommended for your legal needs. He and his staff are highly professional in every aspect. Easy and comfortable feeling talking with him, and he understands … More your needs and explains your legal advice in a way you can understand. Enough just cant be said. Thank You Sir.Positive
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John was kind enough to assist me with legal advise on my firearm gun rights restoration. I highly recommend him and his firm. Very professional and knowledgeable. If I need assistance … More in the future I will definitely go back to him.
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What I liked the most was that he actually returned my phone after leaving a message unlike pretty much everyone else I called prior. He listened and answered my question with the best … More advice that would benefit me the most. I was actually lost from moving to Texas from a different state we’re laws vary and he pointed me toward the right direction to get a understanding of if I need to do business with him now or after I contact a lawyer in my home state.
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John T Floyd handled my sons case & got a dismissal for us! He is great to work with, gets back to you promptly & knows what he’s doing. Definitely one of the best we have had … More to deal with!Positive
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John is honestly the best! The whole team is. He answered me in a timely manner and helped me when my friend was going through a situation in Houston, Texas as an inmate. He was so … More thorough, honest, and without charging me sent me so much information because I was out of the loop. He never once tried to take you for your money, he did all that he could to. help me and I can't thank him enough.
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I have used John on two occasions and found him to have full knowledge of Texas law, diligent, creative in plan, and aggressive in defense. He is the best criminal defense attorney … More in the State of Texas. No reason to look elsewhere.
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I have been calling to get some legal advice pertaining to gun rights. A few legal offices would not even take my call because quote " your not a client and Im losing money. … More I I called John T. Floyd Law Firm and they were not only able to answer my question, but gave great detail information, and further elaborated on their answer. I hope I do not have to use them in the future, but if I do need to, they will be my first call.
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Great lawyer! Needed some advice and gave me a Consultation, and advice for steps to take, without any hassle l, Was a honest guy and actually wanted to help me and not just take my … More money! Highly recommend!!Positive
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Attorney Floyd replied very timely to my inquiry and he provided practical advice. I will not hesitate to contact him in the future if I need additional legal counsel.
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Highly recommend, down to earth lawyer. Talked to me about my legal issues without being super money hungry and genuinely wanted to help me with my legal problems. 5 stars ⭐️.
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Very knowledgeable and professional. I called and left a message Friday morning and before end of business that day I received a call back.Positive
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Very helpful highly recommended for any Question / case will definitely keep he's name and number for any other legal advice
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Excellent service and a lawyer that doesn't lie. He does what he says. JW recommends him.
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One of the best services Ive used in awhile. Thank you for all the help and answers. You got my life back. Thank youPositive
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Im impressed. This guy was polite and professional and most important...he listened.
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Good experience and very good lawyer
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It was a pleasure speaking with John. He is knowledgeable and has a true desire to help the people of society. I turned to him for some guidance of a long-standing issue. He never … More rushed our conversation and went out of his way to look into the details to provide the right answer as well as assist me anyway he could. Thank you for our conversations and I wish your and your firm the best. If you need a lawyer, John Floyd is your guy!
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John represented me in court for roughly 2 years. I won't (and shouldn't) get into any serious details, but let me tell you that I couldn't have chosen anyone better. … More Seriously.Every appearance in court I felt very comfortable. The judge and DA's had a high regard for his reputation. There is a time I recall where simply his presence greatly impacted the court's interpretation of my case and persons. We were in front of the stand and the judge could not stop talking about John's prestige and past accomplishments and how that took in relation to my case. I kept silent in front of the judge, but I observed then that John's popularity and reputation within the court had already given me a better looking rapport with the judge. Let me tell you, I never had more confidence then, knowing that the judge held him in such high regard.This is not to mention how personable John is. I'll be honest that during the stress of court, sharing a laugh with your lawyer helps a lot. This may sound a lot, but I really appreciated the relationship we had then. This is also not to mention that he was able to deal very well with any DA that rotated over the years. Seriously, John was great, prompt with information and very hands on with my case. I had great peace those 2 years until everything wrapped up.If you're looking for a lawyer, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the John T. Floyd Law Firm. He IS nationally renowned, you know. He'll get the job done to the utmost confidence. He's very experienced and has a great record to boot. I am glad to have had him represent me in court and trust me that I never thought I'd ever say that (and whoever does?). We explored every avenue of victory together and I personally enjoyed the experience, despite the seriousness of the accusation.If you have a case that needs to be represented at the highest levels, choose John T. Floyd. He's a good man and very good at what he does. Him and his team has the experience you need to make the best decisions and options to get the best outcome for your case. We got the best result I could possibly ask for, thank God.Seriously. Hire John. He knows what he's doing.Seriously.
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One of the few honest lawyers I have ever talked to. His complimentary consultation was knowledgeable and thorough. He knew exactly what the issue was and how to handle it. His candid … More appraisal of the situation and how to proceed saved me thousands of dollars in legal fees. If you have a case requiring expertise in John's area of practice, look no further. Hire this man!
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I had the opportunity to read an article that Mr. Floyd wrote and it was very interesting. I called him about the article and advice concerning a similar situation. He not only gave … More me excellent advice, he pointed out not just what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear concerning my situation. The Good, The Bad and The ugly in a manner or speaking. He spoke with an open and honest heart with information to help me and not just to get a client.
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If you are in trouble and need a lawyer, contact the John T. Floyd law firm. Some of the best lawyers in Texas work there! Understanding and helpful lawyers and staff that will do all … More they can to help you 😊
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He gave me one of the most honest answers I have received in a very long time about any issue I was having with anything. Legal or not legal. I highly recommend giving him a call and … More will be referring him to friends and family if they have any issues in the future.Positive
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He took time out of his day to answer my legal questions and didn’t even charge me. I would definitely recommend him to you.
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Gave free consultation on getting gun rights back. He truly cares about gun rights and getting you the help you deserve. 100% worth a callPositive
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Very professional, great quality work, and very friendly and helpful. Overall, their service is phenomenal. I recommend Mr. Floyd to anyone.
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Mr. Floyd took the time to explain his experience with the law to me in layman's terms. Definitely give him a call.Positive
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He was honest , knowledgeable , and professional about what we talked about. Most lawyers are just about the money , but not john.Positive
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He was very truthful and honest with us very great man I would recommend him and we would use him again
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Very professional honest and works hard currently working my husband’s appeal I pray he does his best workPositive
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I contacted John T. Floyd Law firm and I was very satisfied with service extremely helpful and friendly thank you Mr. FloydPositive
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This law frim was informative,great response time ,and the attorney called back not some secretary or legal assistant thank u guys for all your help wish it was more like youPositive … More
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I would highly recommend Mr Floyd. He was very helpful and knowledge with a legal question I had.Positive
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He explained my case better then any other lawyerPositive
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Very informative
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Had the pleasure speaking with John Floyd on a personal matter, he was very responsive, nothing but exceptional, and he really cares about you with sincerity and most importantly knows … More what is he talking about! No games or bs, his approach to my situation even though I knew it was probably way smaller then what he normally takes on, he was extremely helpful and didn't care about the size of the matter like other attorneys do. He really looked out for my best interests. You can tell he has decades of experience doing what he does just by chatting with him. I would highly recommend him.
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Words can’t describe how grateful I am for working with John, he went above and beyond my expectation. I was wrongly accused and hired many lawyers before hiring John Floyd but they … More all disappointed me, I had lost hope until a friend of mine referred me to John. From the start he had my best interest in mind and gave helpful advice, he explained the process and guided me. He put more work and time than all my previous lawyers that cost me thousands of dollars. He was constantly communicating with court and defended me more than all lawyer i had hired before him. Don’t waste your time and money like I did, believe me when I say I hired countless lawyers before him and no one came close to John. I’m forever thankful for him for fighting for my innocence and getting my case dismissed. Thank you so much🙏🏼🙏🏼
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I called Mr Floyd and left a message, with in the hour I received a call back with much more information then I could have ever expected. Mr Floyd was very informative on every question … More I had for him. He seemed like he cared, instead of like most attorneys that you talk to that are just out for a quick buck. If you want someone that is going to shoot strait with you, and has your best interest in hand, this is you guy. This was the best experience that I have ever had with an lawyer.
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I can state with confidence that Mr. Floyd and his team are the most competent and professional lawyers one can hope for. My case was quite complex and I admit that as a law student … More I was not the most patient client. Mr. Floyd did a phenomenal job of managing the bench, prosecution and myself! The result was above expectation, and I will never hesitate to recommend this firm regardless of the caliber of the case at issue.
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It was a pleasure working with Mr. Floyd. I contacted him regarding a legal matter and he was extremely knowledgeable about the law, and responded in a timely manner. I appreciated … More the fact I did not feel rushed, and he made sure he thoroughly answered all questions I had. I would highly recommend him!Positive
Responsiveness, Professionalism …More -
Spoke with John Floyd about a 45 year old criminal case I was involved in. I had very little information about the case and John helped me search what records were available and gave … More me guidance to find more information. He was very professional and took his time helping me. I may need to hire a lawyer on this case and Mr. Floyd will be the man.Thanks John.
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Very professional and straight forward. He's not going to waste your time or money. Very knowledgeable in a large range of possible matters one could face living in these days … More and times. If ever you need legal assistance, this is who I would suggest. Awesome!Positive
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I called about some legal questions I needed to get clarified and John was able to give me clarification and sound advice. I will definitely contact John for all future legal questions … More and issues.Thank you John!Positive
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Knows his stuff and well respected with DA and judges. I have referred him a couple times and every client has been satisfied
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John is beyond knowledgeable! If I decide to pursue my case any further I would only have him represent me.
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What a great attorney, this guy really took time out of his day to answer my questions and explain my case to me. Very grateful, thank you so muchPositive
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Absolutely a very professional lawyer. Very well read in the current law and more than willing to help if needed.
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Mr. John he’s a professional he knows what he’s doing and he’s patient they recommend Him stronglyPositive
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Great service, very knowledgable and happy to help with any questions I had
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Quick to action and helpful and knowledgeable with entertainment industry based issues!
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Responded on a holiday week. Very knowledgeable and reassuring.
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Very professional
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I want to thank John T. Floyd and all of his team. He is the best lawyer who cares aboutHis clients and fights really hard to get the best outcome. He is a fighter and he is awesome!!!I … More recommend if any one needs criminal defense , he is the BEST. We had a really serious caseAnd we are very thankful for the outcome. Thank you John!!!!! God bless you!!!!!!
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The attorneys at John T. Floyd Law Firm work diligently to achieve the best possible results for their clients. They are caring and knowledgeable professionals. Their expertise in the … More law and their experience as trial attorneys makes them the right choice as a defense attorney. I recommend this law firm highly.
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From beginning to end this firm handled my case like the top tier professionals they are. I would not trust ANYONE else with my legal needs after having less than stellar experiences … More with other teams. Thank you Floyd!!!
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I really felt like the team cared about my case and am super satisfied with the outcome. Would not recommend anyone else!
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These guys do amazing work and have phenomenal service! Hands down best in the Houston area!!
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John and Chris are true professionals! Love those guys like family!
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Mr. Floyd and his team are very knowledgeable, informative, and helpful.
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A team you can depend on to stand up and fight for you to prove the truth the whole truth!
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Mr. John T. Floyd represented me.I couldn't be happier with the outcome he managed to achieve on an VERY Important case that was dismissed the day of Trial. He is patient & … More very knowledgeable of the legal system. I HIGHLY recommend him to anyone in need of a lawyer!John, I am forever grateful & satisfied with the effort you put forth & all you did for me. Thank you isn't enough!God bless you & your family!
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The John T. Floyd Law Firm assisted me, and I can tell you that the attorney took the time to answer my questions, and I didn't feel rushed or dismissed as I have experienced in … More the past with attorneys. The attorney was very nice and extremely knowledgeable. Initial impressions and continued excellent customer service are big factors for me and as such I would highly recommend this firm.
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I thank you for your efforts to help Felons regain their Civil rights, and for the information on possession , I am A convicted Felon, no violent history. I am an expert shot, I am … More 76 yoa, and very concerned about the present lake of Security in our State and Country. God Bless and Prosper you in your efforts, Your friend, Sonny Bivens
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I really appreciated both Chris and John helping with my legal questions and concerns. Both are good guys and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
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Extremely helpful!!! Helping me understand the law.
John T. Floyd is Board Certified in Criminal Law By the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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