The Law Offices of Dayna L. Jones: San Antonio’s Go-To Lawyer for Overturned Convictions

TO OUR READERS: This profile is independent editorial content produced by Awesome Attorneys. The Law Offices of Dayna L. Jones did not pay for, commission, sponsor, or review this article, and inclusion in this series cannot be purchased. Nothing here is legal advice, an endorsement, or a recommendation to hire any lawyer; readers should evaluate counsel independently and may verify any Texas attorney’s license and discipline history through the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com. Facts are drawn from the sources identified in the Methodology section and were verified as of August 2026.

AT A GLANCE

I. A Post-Conviction Specialist, Not Just a Trial Lawyer

Dayna Jones’s practice extends beyond the typical criminal-defense trial work into a genuinely specialized niche: post-conviction review, appeals, and writs of habeas corpus. Her professional materials describe several of her cases as listed in the National Registry of Exonerations, with additional cases overturned on appeal, a track record distinct from, and harder to build than, a standard trial-and-plea practice. She now also teaches Wrongful Convictions and Constitutional Criminal Procedure at St. Mary’s School of Law, connecting her practice experience directly to legal education.

II. A Full Criminal Docket From Misdemeanor DWI to Capital Murder

Jones’s caseload spans the full severity range of Texas criminal law: DWI and assault misdemeanors on one end, capital murder on the other, with drug trafficking, sexual assault, and internet/cyber crimes in between. Trial-level work at her firm is now handled primarily by her law partner, Daniel De La Garza, while Jones is known within the local defense bar specifically as a go-to lawyer for post-conviction matters.

III. Practice Areas

• DWI/DUI defense
• Drug offenses (misdemeanor through felony trafficking)
• Violent crimes: assault, murder, manslaughter
• Sex crimes
• Internet and cyber crimes
• Federal criminal defense
• Probation violations (motion to revoke)
• Appeals and writs of habeas corpus

IV. Case Outcomes

Jones’s public materials cite documented post-conviction outcomes in general terms, cases listed in the National Registry of Exonerations and additional cases overturned on appeal, without attaching a comprehensive itemized list of every case outcome with specific charges. That structure, appropriate for the confidential and often sealed nature of much criminal case data, is disclosed here rather than filled in with unverified specifics.

V. The Client Voice

This profile located peer endorsements and professional recognition (Super Lawyers Rising Stars, SACDLA scholarship) rather than a large volume of independently attributed consumer client reviews as of this research date; that gap is disclosed rather than papered over with marketing copy. Prospective clients should ask the firm directly for references during a consultation.

VI. Community and Local Presence

Jones’s community footprint runs directly through legal education and the local defense bar: her law school teaching role and her SACDLA scholarship, awarded during her own time in law school “for her commitment to defending the accused,” reflect a sustained institutional relationship with San Antonio’s criminal defense community specifically, rather than general civic activity.

VII. Credentials and Recognition

Jones has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, a third-party peer-review recognition distinguished here from self-conferred marketing claims. No State Bar of Texas board certification in criminal law was located for Jones as of this research date; that absence is disclosed rather than assumed to exist, and the term “board certified” is not used in this profile for that reason.

VIII. The Texas Legal Backdrop

In Texas, a first-offense DWI is generally a Class B misdemeanor, escalating with aggravating factors under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49; a driver generally has 15 days after arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing to contest an automatic license suspension. Post-conviction relief in Texas, central to Jones’s documented specialty, follows distinct procedural rules under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, including strict deadlines for filing writs of habeas corpus. None of this is legal advice; consult a licensed Texas attorney about your specific situation.

IX. The Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Jones’s structural strength is a genuinely rare specialization within criminal defense: documented, verifiable post-conviction and exoneration work, reinforced by a law school teaching position in the exact subject area. For a client whose matter involves an appeal, a wrongful conviction claim, or post-conviction relief specifically, rather than an active trial-stage case, that specialized track record is a real, checkable asset most general criminal defense firms cannot offer.

The honest limitation is one worth stating plainly: this profile could not verify a substantial, independently attributed consumer client review record for the firm, unlike several other firms in this series. A prospective client, especially one facing active trial-stage charges rather than post-conviction matters, should ask directly which attorney, Jones or her partner Daniel De La Garza, would handle their specific case, since trial-level work is now primarily handled by De La Garza.

X. Methodology & Sources

This profile was researched and written independently by Awesome Attorneys in August 2026 without the participation, sponsorship, or payment of The Law Offices of Dayna L. Jones. Primary source: the firm’s website jonesdefense.com (home, attorney profile, practice areas, contact) and alamocriminaldefense.com (attorney biography). Verification sources: Super Lawyers attorney profile (Rising Stars recognition); Justia attorney directory listing. Statutes cited in Section VIII were verified against the Texas Constitution and Statutes database (statutes.capitol.texas.gov).

Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal-directory publisher. This profile was not paid for by The Law Offices of Dayna L. Jones, and inclusion in our editorial coverage cannot be purchased. Awesome Attorneys may separately offer premium sponsored placements to attorneys and firms; sponsorship status, where it exists, is always disclosed and does not alter the editorial content of a profile such as this one. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice or an attorney referral.