John S. Gilmore III
John S. Gilmore, III started his criminal defense career working as a clerk in his father’s law office at the age of 15. Nearly a decade later, in August 2016, he began his clerkship with Cynthia E. Orr and Gerald H. Goldstein. John has worked extensively on some complex criminal matters including capital murder, healthcare fraud, bribery, money laundering, sexual assault, drug conspiracies, state and federal criminal appellate matters, writs of habeas corpus, and large asset forfeitures.
John’s professional legal career began mid-trial in the successful defense against federal allegations of bribery and money laundering. During this trial, and once passing the Texas Bar Exam, John was sworn into the practice of law by the Honorable David Alan Ezra, the sitting trial judge.
John’s practice focuses on state and federal criminal litigation, state and federal grand jury practice, criminal appeals, asset forfeiture matters, and post-conviction writs of habeas corpus. He takes pride in being able to discretely resolve allegations in high stakes matters for his clients, including the return of over One Million Dollars in assets for clients.
John has drafted writs of certiorari to the US Supreme Court and has prepared oral arguments before the Fifth Circuit, the Tenth Court of Appeals of Texas, and the Thirteenth Court of Appeals of Texas.
John earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2015, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration with the honor of graduating Magna Cum Laude. During his time at St. Mary’s University School of Law, John served and contributed to The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice on Vol. 19 as a staff writer and the Vol. 20 Editorial Board as an Associate Editor. Under Cynthia E. Orr’s guidance, John spearheaded the 2017–2018 revision of the Texas Annotated Code of Criminal Procedure and Texas Penal Code printed and published by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. John recently assisted a Ukrainian family, on a pro bono basis, legally transfer their assets from the war zone in Eastern Europe to the United States to provide medical assistance and cost of living aid for refugees.
Areas of Practice
Some of John’s current and past clients have been under investigation for the following types of allegations:
- Money laundering;
- Drug trafficking;
- Sex trafficking;
- Conspiracy;
- Sexual assault;
- Various fraud cases (including bank fraud, tax fraud, PPP fraud, insurance fraud, healthcare fraud, and fraud involving aircraft and space vehicles);
- Tax evasion;
- Asset forfeiture;
- Federal unlawful possession of firearms;
- Bribery;
- Kickbacks;
- Capital murder;
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon;
- Kidnapping;
- Prostitution;
- Terroristic threat;
- Parole;
- Matters involving mental health issues;
- Juvenile matters;
- Title IX matters; and
- Matters involving Independent School Districts.
Credentials and Experience
Bar Admissions:
- Texas, 2018
- S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 2019
- S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2019
- S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 2019
- S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2019
- S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, 2019
- S. Supreme Court, 2022
Education:
- Mary’s University School of Law, Texas, 2018, J.D.
- The Scholar, Law Review of Race and Social Justice, Associate Editor, 2018
- University of Texas at San Antonio, 2015, B.B.A., Magna Cum Laude
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2018-present
- Board of Directors, 2022-present
- The Voice for the Defense, Assistant Editor, 2022-present
- Law School Committee, Member, 2022-present
- Texas Bar Association, Member, 2018-present
- Criminal Law Section
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Member, 2018-present
- San Antonio Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2018-present
- William S. Sessions American Inn of Court, 2019-present
- American Bar Association, member, 2018-present
- San Antonio Bar Association, member, 2018-present
- International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, member, 2019-present
Presentations
- Basics of Juvenile Law, St. Mary’s Criminal Law Association Member Meeting, 2022.
- When School’s Not Cool: Using the Title IX Process to Your Advantage, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2021
Notable Cases
- In re I.V. – Kept 16-year-old from being certified as an adult in a capital murder case and obtained a determinate sentence.
- In re C., OIG – Obtained a complete dismissal of a federal healthcare fraud investigation. The Office of Inspector General closed this matter without any further action being taken.
- In re P.G., Title IX in a school disciplinary matter, the Client was acquitted of sexual assault.
- DEA Seizure of Approximately $550,050 – Worked with the Government to ensure that no forfeiture complaint be filed against the funds. All the funds were returned to the client.
- United States v. Flores, Case 2:18-cr-00818 – In a federal case that was certified as complex involving an alleged Six Million Dollar fraud amount, the client was released from custody and did not serve any additional time upon resolution of the case.
