Our Clients and Cases

Who knows better than the Judges? Texas Judges have called on Terry W. Yates for representation before The State Commission on Judicial Conduct as well as other legal matters. Most notably, Yates represented Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina in an arson investigation of the Judges home that received intense local, state and national media attention. In addition to getting the charge against Justice Medina dismissed, Yates was successful in having the Grand Jury that illegally indicted Justice Medina disbanded ("Jury Blocked From Reindicting Justice", The New York Times, January 23, 2008).

And Police Officers? Since 1994 Yates has successfully represented more than 50 Texas Peace Officers. Many cases involved criminal investigations and charges of DWI, assault, aggravated assault, sexual assault, official oppression and other criminal matters across the State of Texas. After a two-week trial, Yates obtained a Not Guilty verdict on all counts of official oppression against HPD Captain Mark Aguirre, resulting from the Kmart Raid, a case that received nationwide media scrutiny ("Jury Finds Aguirre Innocent in Raid on Kmart Parking Lot", Houston Chronicle, June 17, 2003). Yates has also represented numerous police officers in Civil Service Arbitration Hearings concerning their employment, and administrative actions brought by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). In 2005, Yates was hired to represent the 4,000 plus men and women of the Houston Police Officers Union (HPOU), when they were sued for millions of dollars. Yates won the case for the HPOU on a summary judgment motion and the case was against the HPOU was thrown out of court.

Athletes and Celebrities: Yates has been called on to assist numerous professional athletes, including 7-time NBA World Champion and former Houston Rocket Robert Horry, Houston Astro and San Diego Padre Ken Caminiti ("Ex-Astro Caminiti Freed In Drug Case", Houston Chronicle, October 6, 2004), Dallas Cowboy and Houston Oiler Alonzo Highsmith, New York Yankee and Houston Astro Charlie Hayes ("Ex-Astro Acquitted In Little League Fight", Houston Chronicle, August 29, 2008), and New Orleans Saint kicker Russell Erxleben. Yates also represented members of the Rice University Owls Football team who were no billed by a Harris County Grand Jury in a sexual assault investigation ("Football Players Are Not Indicted, 3 From Rice, Recruit Had Been Accused of Sexual Assault", Houston Chronicle, February 25, 2004). And when Houston sports radio personality John Granato needed legal help against KILT and CBS Radio, Yates took on the mammoth corporation and obtained a successful settlement on John's behalf ("Thanks to Settlement, Granato Free of KILT", Houston Chronicle, April 30, 2007).

Lawyers Bankers and Businessmen: Terry Yates & Associates represents a number of lawyers, not only in criminal matters, but also before the State Bar of Texas regarding complaints and alleged professional misconduct. In Federal Courts across the nation, in some of the largest and most complex governmental prosecutions ever orchestrated, Yates has taken on the government on behalf of white-collar clients. Some of these cases include the Federal Enron and Dynegy fraud prosecutions in the Southern District of Texas Houston; and the NuCoastal Corp., Oscar Wyatt and Iraqi Government Officials scandal relating to the United Nations Oil For Food Program out of the Southern District of New York. These three cases received intense national and international media attention. And when Dynegy reneged on its promise to pay Yates legal fees on behalf of their executive, Yates took Dynegy to task and was awarded $2.5 million from a Harris County jury in 2007 ("Jury Wants Dynegy To Pay Lawyer", Houston Chronicle, May 16, 2007).

Doctors: Yates represents doctors before the Texas Medical Board (TMB) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on administrative and disciplinary matters concerning their medical license. He has also defended numerous doctors on criminal allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, assault, sexual assault, and illegal possession and distribution of narcotics. The American Association of Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS) chose Yates as one of its attorneys in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Eastern District of Texas against the TMB to end the pervasive and continuing violations of constitutional rights of its members. Also, well-known Houston physician and political activist Dr. Steven Hotze, and The Hotze Health & Wellness Center routinely taps Yates to assist them in various legal matters.

Politicians: Terry W. Yates has come to the aid of numerous State Senators and State Legislators, as well as local Houston politicians in both criminal and alleged ethical violations before the Texas Ethics Commission. Most of these matters have been handled with the extreme care to avoid unnecessary media attention so as not to stain the clients reputation. Yates also assisted in the successful defense of United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

And What About the Common Citizen? Most of the cases that Yates handles are for the working class folks, the poor, the repressed and the forgotten. Yates has successfully defended hundreds of people since 1994. He has received numerous Not Guilty verdicts from juries on cases around the state of Texas as serious as capital murder ("Jury Votes For Acquittal In Capital Murder Case Rare Setback For County Prosecutors", Houston Chronicle, September 18, 1996) to offenses only carrying a fine. Because of his reputation of winning jury trials and knowledge of the nuances of the law, hundreds of cases have been dismissed and prosecutions terminated. Below is a list of a representative sample of these types of cases.

Names removed to protect the anonymity of our clients.