A Dallas law firm and attorney have sued Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, Tarrant County DA Joe Shannon Jr. and others challenging the constitutionality of sections in two Texas barratry laws. The plaintiffs also ask the court to order Dallas-Fort Worth area police and courts to release misdemeanor defendants’ information more quickly to them.
“The biggest point we’re trying to make with the lawsuit is when the courts have the records that would permit criminal defendants to be able to be contacted by potential legal counsel to help them, to defend them — and [courts] restrict that information to delay that contact — it violates the 1st and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution,” says Bill Aleshire, a shareholder in Riggs Aleshire & Ray in Austin who represents plaintiffs Sullo & Bobbitt and partner Barry L. Bobbitt.
