Helping North Texans Erase Criminal Records
Biography
Bob Jarvis has been in private practice in Sherman, Texas, concentrating primarily on criminal defense and CPS investigations. He graduated from Baylor University in 1982 and from Baylor Law School in 1984. After graduation, he was hired by legendary Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade. Jarvis rose through the ranks was promoted to felony prosecutor in just over a year. During the following 12 months, Jarvis tried 23 felony jury trials resulting in 100% guilty verdicts.
In 1987, Bob Jarvis was elected Grayson County District Attorney, an office he held for 12 years. As the youngest district attorney ever elected in Grayson County, Jarvis personally tried 42 cases before juries for offenses including murder, capital murder, and child abuse, again with a 100% conviction rate. During his tenure as district attorney, Jarvis implemented many innovative programs that improved the procedures used in prosecuting family violence, sex crimes and child abuse cases throughout the state of Texas.
In addition to duties as district attorney, Jarvis was also appointed Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. He was given general jurisdiction as opposed to a one-time appointment for a single case. Jarvis is the only elected district attorney in the history of the Eastern District of Texas to be designated both state and federal prosecutor simultaneously.
Jarvis entered private practice in January 2001, and within the first year, was hired to defend a local rancher accused of Capital Murder in the shooting death of a Whitewright police officer. Together with Sherman attorney Mike Wynne, Jarvis undertook the task of defending the rancher who was facing the death penalty. The Fannin County district attorney called in the Attorney General's "death team" to assist in the prosecution. The trial generated massive publicity during the lengthy jury selection and trial of the case. After just three hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. It was the only police officer killing in memory where the defendant was found not guilty, and the first loss ever for the Attorney General's Death Team. The trial was featured on an MSNBC nationally-syndicated program, "Verdict," as the inaugural episode.
Jarvis has tried and won many difficult child sex abuse cases, several of which originated from divorce or child custody disputes. He also has extensive experience in federal cases and is often contacted by out-of-county attorneys for assistance with cases in the Eastern District of Texas in Sherman.
Jarvis' combined experience as a metropolitan-area prosecutor, long-term elected district attorney in his hometown, special federal prosecutor, and private-practice lawyer defending state and federal cases gives him a unique advantage in almost every criminal case. He is licensed to practice in all courts in the State of Texas, the United States District Court for the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Education
- Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas
- J.D. - 1984
- Baylor University, Waco, Texas
- B.B.A. - 1982
Practice Areas
- Criminal Defense
- DWI and other Alcohol-Related Crimes
- Violent Crimes such as Murder, Robbery and Assault
- Sex Crimes, including Sexual Assault and Child Pornography
- Drug crimes, ranging from Drug Possession to Drug Delivery or Manufacturing
- White Collar Crimes such as Embezzlement, Health Care Fraud, Insurance Fraud, Mortgage Fraud and more
- Family Violence and related Crimes
- Burglary and Theft Crimes
- Juvenile Offenses, including Gang Activity, Drugs, Underage Drinking and more
- Federal Crimes including Drug-Related Crimes and Conspiracies, Fraud, and Child Pornography
- Crimes involving Veterans
- Divorce (including High-Asset Divorce)
- CPS Investigations
Professional Associations
- Grayson County Bar Association, President, 2010
- Grayson County Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association, Secretary, 2001 to Present
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Texas District and County Attorneys Association
- National Criminal Defense Attorneys Association
- American Bar Association, Member
- Boy Scouts of America Circle Ten Council, Board Member
- Circle 10 Boy Scouts of America, Executive Board Member
- Juvenile Alternatives, Past Board Member
- March of Dimes, Past Board Member
- American Heart Association, Past Board Member
- Texas Bar Foundation, Sustaining Member
- Texas Attorney General's Sex Offender Management Protocol Committee, Prosecutor Representative, 1991
Bar Admission
- Texas, 1984
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Classes & Seminars
- Panelist – Emerging Issues in Death Penalty Litigation, Austin College Symposium, 2012 to 2012
- Speaker – Jury Selection from a Former Prosecutor’s Perspective, The Center for American and International and International Law, 2014
- Speaker/Small Group Leader – Criminal Defense Trial Skills and Trial Law Program, 2009 to 2018
- Speaker – Military Defense Counsel Trial Litigation, The Center for American and International Law, Plano, Texas, 2009 to 2015
- Speaker – Integrating Responses to Domestic Violence, Loyola Law Review Symposium, New Orleans, 1998 to 1998
- Co-Director - Criminal Defense Trial Skills and Law Trial Program, 2018 to Present
Published Works
- “A Proposal for a Model Domestic Violence Protocol” , Loyola law Review, Symposium on Integrating Responses to Domestic Violence. New Orleans, 1998
Honors
- Best of Texoma – Best Attorney
- Texas Bar Foundation Nominating Committee
- Member – Judge Paul Brown Inn of Court
- The National Trial Lawyers Association- Top 100 Trial Lawyers
Past Positions
- Elected Grayson County, Texas, District Attorney, 1988 to 2000
- Dallas County, Texas, Assistant District Attorney, 1984 to 1986
- Eastern District of Texas, Special Assistant United States Attorney