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PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT-THE SCOURGE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Oct 09 2010
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Thompson v. Connick; Jury Awards 14 Million Dollars to Man Who Served 18 Years in Prison for Crime he Did Not Commit After Prosecutors Hid Favorable Evidence
By: Houston Criminal Lawyer John Floyd and Paralegal Billy Sinclair

Last year the U.S. Supreme Court in Van de Kamp v. Goldstein effectively reinforced a longstanding constitutional rule of law that prosecutors who engaged in unethical and criminal misconduct to secure criminal convictions are immunized from civil liability. They are protected by the doctrine of absolute immunity which insulates public officials from civil liability when performing their official duties, even if their conduct is unethical and criminal so long as the conduct is carried out within the scope of the official’s duties.

The Supreme Court will again this Term entertain a case, Connick v. Thompson, concerning prosecutorial misconduct and civil liability attached to that misconduct. This time under a different rule of law. The sole question before the court in Thompson is whether the failure of a District Attorney to train his assistant prosecutors about the requirements of Brady v. Maryland is sufficient to trigger the rigorous culpability and causation standards associated in municipality liability cases. The Thompson case involves prosecutors deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence which led to the capital murder conviction of John Thompson and causing him to spend 18 years in prison, most on death row. There is no dispute about this fact. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office concedes as much. A jury subsequently awarded Thompson $14 million dollars in damages, one million dollars for each year he was wrongfully held in solitary confinement on death row. The District Attorney’s Office has appealed this award all the way up to the U. S. Supreme Court.

Thompson’s horrific saga in the criminal justice system began in December 1984 when prominent New Orleans businessman Raymond T. Liuzza, Jr. was killed outside his home. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office, then headed by Harry Connick, Sr., was under considerable pressure to see the crime solved and its perpetrator(s) prosecuted. In the heat of the Liuzza investigation, Jay LaGarde and his two siblings faced an attempted armed robbery/carjacking outside the city’s Superdome. Shortly after the LaGarde attempted robbery (January 1985) Thompson and a co-defendant named Kevin Freeman were arrested for the Liuzza murder.

The Thompson/Freeman arrest set in motion a sequence of events that would lead to gross prosecutorial misconduct by Connick’s office. LaGarde’s father saw Thompson and Freeman’s photographs in the local newspaper and figured they were probably the individuals who had tried to rob his children. He contacted Connick’s office about his suspicions which led to Thompson and Freeman being charged with armed robbery.

The armed robbery charge proved to be a tactical godsend to prosecutors handling the Liuzza murder case. They decided to try Thompson first on the robbery charge which would allow them to use that conviction to help secure a death penalty verdict in the Liuzza case. Thompson was convicted of the attempted robbery based solely on the identification of LaGrade and the two siblings. He was sentenced to the maximum 49 ½ years. His defense attorney was not aware that prosecutors had in their possession evidence that would have exonerated Thompson on the robbery charge—and prosecutors deliberately withheld, and concealed, that evidence from the defense.

Three weeks after the LaGarde robbery trial Thompson was put to trial for Liuzza’s murder. Kevin Freeman, who was Liuzza’s actual killer, testified for the prosecution, lying to the jury by saying he saw Thompson shoot Liuzza. Thompson was found guilty as charged. At the penalty phase, the LaGarde robbery victims testified with one victim telling the jury she believed Thompson would have killed the three siblings had her brother not wrestled the gun away from him. Prosecutors told jurors that since Thompson was already serving a “near-life sentence” on the robbery charge, the death penalty was the only appropriate verdict to protect society. The jury agreed. Thompson was carted off to death row to await his lethal fate.

After many years of post-conviction efforts to overturn the death penalty verdict, highlighted by multiple requests for any Brady material, Thompson faced imminent execution in 1999. One month before his execution, Thompson’s appellate attorneys independently, without any assistance from the District Attorney’s office, discovered a crime lab report concerning blood evidence found on LaGarde’s pants leg. Prosecutors knew the blood belonged to the robber—and they also knew it did not belong to Thompson. The report was irrefutable evidence that they had wrongfully convicted Thompson for the LaGarde robbery and they were not about to disclose this evidence to his defense counsel.

With this belated discovery, the courts ordered Connick’s office to make all its files available to Thompson’s appellate counsel. They found a treasure trove of exculpatory evidence, including evidence that matched Freeman to the LaGarde robbery. This newly discovered evidence resulted in a new trial for Thompson in 2003 at which he was acquitted following only 35 minutes of deliberation. Thompson, through new attorneys, filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 lawsuit against Connick and his prosecutors, alleging that the district attorney’s office failure to train his staff in Brady-related matters triggered liability under the U.S. Supreme Court precedent City of Canton v. Harris which held that a municipality may be held liable for failure to train its employees. The jury awarded Thompson $14 million in damages and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that judgment.

Prosecutorial misconduct has long been a fixture in state criminal prosecutions. But the unholy phenomenon has crossed into federal territory, particularly in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks which created a climate among the nation’s U.S. Attorneys that they could, and should, convict at any costs. Just last month USA Today reported the findings of its six month investigation dealing with misconduct by federal prosecutors. The newspaper documented 201 cases since 1997 in which federal judges have determined that U.S. attorneys, “the nation’s most elite and powerful law enforcement officials,” either violated the law or ethical rules in the prosecution of cases. One case concerned Orlando, Florida businessman Nino Lyons who spent three years in prison because federal prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense.

“Instead, the prosecutors covered up evidence that could have discredited many of Lyons’ accusers,” USA Today reported. “They never revealed that a convict who claimed to have purchased hundreds of pounds of cocaine from Lyons struggled even to identify his photograph. And they hid the fact that prosecutors had promised to let others out of prison early in exchange for their cooperation.”

U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Presnell was so incensed by the prosecutors’ misconduct that he not only overturned Lyons’ conviction but declared him actually innocent. And while this was a tremendous benefit to Lyons who regained a measure of his integrity and reputation, “neither the Justice Department nor the lead prosecutor in the Lyons case, Bruce Hinshelwood, would explain the events that cost Lyon his home, his businesses, and nearly three years of freedom,” the newspaper reported. “The department investigated Hinshelwood but refused to say whether he was punished; records obtained by USA Today show that the agency regulating Florida lawyers ordered him to attend a one-day ethics workshop …”

Hinshelwood was so cavalier about Judge Presnell’s exoneration that he was quoted in the media as saying: “It is of no concern to me.”

Judge Presnell was more than concerned. USA Today said the judge “savaged” the Justice Department in a written order, saying Hinshelwood and other prosecutors engaged in “a concerted campaign of prosecutorial abuse” which included covering up evidence and knowingly allowing “felons” to “lie to the jury.”

Federal prosecutors with Hinshelwood’s cavalier attitude about justice, who are driven to win regardless of the facts, are the reason why the Justice Department “internal ethics watchdogs” have seen a rise in complaints from judges about prosecutors, up from 42 in 2001 to 61 last year, according to USA Today. The newspaper spent six months “examining federal prosecutors’ work, reviewing legal databases, department records and tens of thousands of pages of court filings” and Pace University law professor Bennett Gershman, an expert on prosecutorial misconduct, said the investigation revealed a pattern of “serious, glaring misconduct”—one that is “systemic now, and … the system is not able to control this type of behavior … there is no accountability.”

The chief federal public defender in Albany, New York, Alexander Bunin, agreed, calling USA Today’s findings “the tip of the iceberg” because there are so many tainted cases being concealed by the prosecutorial system. Still, the newspaper documented 47 cases in which the defendants were either exonerated or set free because of prosecutorial misconduct. These findings are both shocking and scandalous. Former U.S. Attorney Dick Thornburgh agrees, telling the newspaper that “no civilized society should countenance such conduct or systems that failed to prevent it.”

Thornburgh is right. There is no way to excuse or justify a woman spending eight years in prison for a 2000 Arizona bank robbery because federal prosecutors did not reveal to her defense that another woman, “who matched her description almost exactly,” had also been charged with bank robberies in the same area. Or a Washington, D.C. case cited by USA Today in which two men spent two decades in prison before a court reversed their convictions after learning prosecutors had deliberately “hid evidence that two others could have committed the offense.”

We have lamented about tactics by federal prosecutors to overcharge defendants and then pump unlimited resources into convicting them for an array of offenses related to the same course of conduct. Last year the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the conviction of an Illinois businessman, Charles Farinella, who was convicted in 2007 for changing “best when purchased by” dates on salad dressing bottles which was not a crime. The Court called the prosecutor’s language in the indictment, which continued throughout trial, “false and misleading” because the dressing was “shelf stable” and had no expiration date. The appeals court chided lead prosecutor Juliet Sorensen for ethical violations in securing the wrongful conviction—a conviction that cost Farinella his business and his more than 20 employees their jobs.

“”It’s the United States government against one person,” Farinella told USA Today. “They beat you down because they are so powerful. They have trillions of dollars behind them. Even someone who’s innocent doesn’t have much of a chance.”

The systemic pattern of misconduct by U.S. attorneys has cost taxpayers millions of dollars as the Justice Department paid off defendants for wrongful convictions and encumbered the staggering costs for retrials in cases where convictions were reversed because of prosecutorial misconduct. But beyond the financial consequences, prosecutorial misconduct cost even more in both measurable and immeasurable ways as it erodes the integrity of the justice system.

“There are rogue prosecutors, often motivated by personal ambition or partisan reasons,” Thornburgh told USA Today. “Most former federal prosecutors, like myself, are resentful of actions that bring discredit on the office.” The former chief judge in northern district of Alabama, U.W. Clemon, agrees, telling the newspaper: “Sometimes, you get inexperienced and unscrupulous assistant U.S. attorneys who don’t care about the rules.”

These concerns by both Thornburgh and Clemon are why criminal defense attorneys nationwide are watching the Thompson case so closely. While the decision would have no direct bearing on prosecutorial misconduct by U.S. attorneys, a favorable ruling in Thompson would at least ensure that all major city governments in this country would make sure its prosecutors are not only trained in the rule of Brady but forced to comply with its mandate. And state prosecutors across the country are aware of Thompson’s potential: they are filing amicus curiae briefs urging the Supreme Court to brush aside this attempt to hold municipalities liable for the actions of rogue prosecutors.

And therein lies the root problem in prosecutorial misconduct cases: the system, whether at the state or federal level, does everything it can to cover up the misconduct. Prosecutors enjoy enormous power knowing they cannot be held personally liable for their misconduct, and that sense of unbridled power is enhanced by the knowledge that their superiors will not only condone their misconduct but protect them from any accountability for it. A favorable ruling in Thompson, holding district attorneys civilly liable for wrongful suppression of exculpatory evidence, would significantly curtail this unchecked sense of power by rogue prosecutors. If their human conscience and reverence for Justice do not force them to do what is right, maybe a hit to their wallets will…

By: Houston Criminal Attorney John Floyd and Paralegal Billy Sinclair www.JohnTFloyd.com

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John T. Floyd Law Firm IconJohn T. Floyd Law Firm

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  • Avatar Mark J ★★★★★ a year ago
    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.
  • Avatar Pat Garner ★★★★★ a year ago
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  • Avatar Hope Fischer ★★★★★ a year ago
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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.
  • Avatar Anya Palapa ★★★★★ 2 years ago
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  • Avatar Joffre Cross II (Jeff) ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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!
  • Avatar jeannette young ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar 9salmon ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Reginald Bell ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Debby Griffin ★★★★★ 2 years ago
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  • Avatar Gabriela ★★★★★ 2 years ago
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  • Avatar Randy Rich ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Robert Robinson ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    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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  • Avatar Tylor St. Clair ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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!
  • Avatar Andrew Vo ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Banning Lary ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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!
  • Avatar Larry Green ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Jackie Cohen ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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 😊
  • Avatar It’s Me ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Tad Nieschwietz ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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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  • Avatar Maher Abbara ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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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  • Avatar Dana Adkison ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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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  • Avatar Barry Lewis ★★★★ 3 years ago
    Very informative
  • Avatar Ismael Flores ★★★★★ 3 years ago
  • Avatar Haley Danielle Lummus ★★★★★ 3 years ago
  • Avatar Eddie Villarreal ★★★★★ 3 years ago
  • Avatar Neil Productions ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar S A ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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🙏🏼🙏🏼
  • Avatar Gary Watch ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Saman Daftarian ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar calvin robinson ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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
  • Avatar Alan Howk ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar CMCustom Cycles ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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
    Responsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value …More
  • Avatar Greg Page ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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
    Responsiveness, Professionalism, Value …More
  • Avatar Kristen Rankin ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Knows his stuff and well respected with DA and judges. I have referred him a couple times and every client has been satisfied
  • Avatar Kedar Puranik ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    John is beyond knowledgeable! If I decide to pursue my case any further I would only have him represent me.
  • Avatar Joseph Sivadon ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    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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  • Avatar Lex Strider ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Absolutely a very professional lawyer. Very well read in the current law and more than willing to help if needed.
  • Avatar karim khalifa ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Mr. John he’s a professional he knows what he’s doing and he’s patient they recommend Him stronglyPositive
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  • Avatar James Haggard ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Great service, very knowledgable and happy to help with any questions I had
  • Avatar David Sustaita ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Quick to action and helpful and knowledgeable with entertainment industry based issues!
  • Avatar Chad Groves ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Responded on a holiday week. Very knowledgeable and reassuring.
  • Avatar Mark Fein ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Very professional
  • Avatar Bthomason903 Bthomason903 ★★★★★ 4 years ago
  • Avatar Anton Jasser ★★★★★ 4 years ago
  • Avatar Alma Garza ★★★★★ 4 years ago
  • Avatar Victory 2020 ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    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!!!!!!
  • Avatar Alma Garcia Cunningham ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Rajiv Patel ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    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!!!
  • Avatar Jose Tapia ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    I really felt like the team cared about my case and am super satisfied with the outcome. Would not recommend anyone else!
  • Avatar Sagar Patel ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    These guys do amazing work and have phenomenal service! Hands down best in the Houston area!!
  • Avatar RAYNINN ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    John and Chris are true professionals! Love those guys like family!
  • Avatar Virginia Martin ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    Mr. Floyd and his team are very knowledgeable, informative, and helpful.
  • Avatar Darla Latham ★★★★★ 6 years ago
    A team you can depend on to stand up and fight for you to prove the truth the whole truth!
  • Avatar Veronica Elorza ★★★★★ 6 years ago
  • Avatar Karetta Lux ★★★★★ 7 years ago
    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!
  • Avatar GM ★★★★★ 8 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Sandra Bivens ★★★★★ 8 years ago
    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
  • Avatar Mike Kittelson ★★★★★ 8 years ago
    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.
  • Avatar Robert Hair ★★★★★ 8 years ago
    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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