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Barton & Associates: One of Only Three Not-Guilty-by-Reason-of-Insanity Verdicts in Texas History

Gary Barton doesn’t guess at how Bexar County prosecutors build their cases — he used to be one, prosecuting major violent felonies for the Bexar County DA’s office. This San Antonio criminal defense attorney firm’s trial record includes one of only three Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity verdicts secured in Texas history, a genuinely rare outcome most criminal defense attorneys never see in an entire career.

At a Glance: San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney Firm Overview

Origin & Background

Gary Barton, raised in Bandera, Texas, holds both a J.D. and an MBA from Texas Tech University — a dual credential the firm says gives him a specific analytical edge in complex financial and criminal matters alike. He built his early career as a felony prosecutor, handling major violent felony cases for the Bexar County District Attorney’s office, before founding Barton & Associates over 20 years ago. He has practiced in more than 66 Texas counties and has been named “Lawyer of the Year” for the San Antonio region by Best Lawyers in America.

Practice Concentration: What This San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney Firm Handles

Per its own Avvo breakdown, the firm’s practice is roughly 50% criminal defense and 20% DUI/DWI, spanning first-offense DWI, drug possession, aggravated felonies, sex crimes, and violent offenses, in both Texas state and federal courts. The firm’s criminal defense team includes a board-certified criminal law specialist, a former Bexar County prosecutor, and trial attorneys who have collectively tried well over 100 jury cases. The firm’s trial record includes one of only three Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity verdicts secured in Texas history — an outcome so rare that most Texas criminal defense attorneys never encounter one in their entire careers.

Notable Work

The firm reports one of only three Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity verdicts in Texas history among its case results, alongside a broader trial record the firm describes as including “well over 100 jury trials” collectively across its criminal defense team. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case; this specific NGRI verdict figure is as reported by the firm and was not independently re-verified against a comprehensive statewide court record by this profile.

Client Voice

The firm states it has collected over 500 client reviews, describing them as “every single one real, unfiltered.” The firm’s own review page describes a consistent pattern: “someone’s life fell apart—a car crash, a divorce, a DWI, a child custody fight—and Barton & Associates put it back together,” citing clear communication, aggressive advocacy, and attorneys who “actually answered the phone” as recurring themes. This profile notes that these testimonials are self-published by the firm rather than sourced from an independent third-party review platform, which is a meaningful distinction worth flagging even where the volume (500+) is substantial.

Beyond the Courtroom

The firm’s Family Law division operates alongside its Criminal Defense and Personal Injury divisions under one roof — a structural choice the firm frames as allowing clients facing overlapping legal crises (for example, a DWI arrest during a contested divorce) to work with one firm rather than coordinating across separate counsel.

Recognition

Gary J. Barton is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a distinction the firm notes is held by fewer than 3% of Texas attorneys, and the only “specialist” designation used in this profile because it is independently state-administered. Barton has been named to Super Lawyers Rising Stars for Criminal Defense, DWI/DWI Defense, Family Law, and Estate Planning & Probate across 2023, 2024, and 2025, and is a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100. Barton has also been named “Lawyer of the Year” for the San Antonio region by Best Lawyers in America. These are state-board and peer-review recognitions rather than firm self-description.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Texas DWI is governed by Texas Penal Code Chapter 49; a first offense is generally a Class B misdemeanor, escalating to a Class A misdemeanor with a prior conviction, an open container, or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or above, and to a felony with a third conviction or a child under 15 in the vehicle. The insanity defense in Texas is governed by Texas Penal Code § 8.01, which requires proving that, as a result of severe mental disease or defect, the defendant did not know their conduct was wrong at the time of the offense — a narrow, difficult-to-establish standard that helps explain why verdicts like the firm’s reported NGRI case are so rare. This is general background information, not legal advice, and does not account for the specific facts of any case.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

A board-certified former Bexar County felony prosecutor now applying that specific inside knowledge to defense work, combined with a documented trial record including one of only three NGRI verdicts in Texas history, represents genuinely rare and specific case experience. Consistent multi-year Super Lawyers Rising Stars recognition across four separate practice areas also suggests broad-based peer respect rather than a single area of strength.

The honest gap: the firm’s 500-plus client reviews are self-published on its own site rather than aggregated by an independent third-party platform like Google or Avvo, which is a meaningful difference in how independently verifiable that volume is — the underlying sentiment may well be accurate, but a prospective client can’t cross-check it the way they could with a Google Business or Avvo review count. The firm’s broad four-division structure (criminal, DWI, family, personal injury) also means a prospective client should confirm which specific attorney would handle their criminal or DWI matter, since board certification applies to Barton individually rather than to every attorney at the firm.

Methodology & Sourcing

This profile was compiled from the firm’s own website (bartonlawoffice.com), including its criminal defense, personal injury, and reviews pages, Martindale’s attorney profile for Gary Barton, Lawyers.com’s firm directory listing, and Avvo’s attorney profile (including its practice-area percentage breakdown).

Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independently researched legal directory. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, PLLC prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to firms profiled on this site, but sponsorship status has no bearing on editorial content, and inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement of any firm for any particular legal matter. Nothing in this profile constitutes legal advice or a lawyer referral; readers with a legal question should consult a licensed Texas attorney directly.