Joseph A. Turner

Admitted: 1977, Texas; also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas

Law School: University of Texas at Austin, J.D. 1977

College: Sam Houston State University, B.A., Criminology, summa cum laude, 1974

Member: State Bar of Texas; Austin Bar Association; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Biography: Lecturer at Law, University of Texas School of Law, 1989. Former: Assistant Travis County Attorney; Assistant Travis County District Attorney; Assistant U.S. Attorney. Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Texas Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Born: Spokane, Washington, September 24, 1954

Joe Turner graduated summa cum laude from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he majored in criminology. During undergraduate school, he worked as a correctional officer in the state prison. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977 at the age of 22. He was Chief of the Trial Section for the Travis County Attorney's Office. As an Assistant District Attorney, he was Chief of the Special Crimes Division. He later became an Assistant United States Attorney. He has been a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, Texas since 1982. He has been board-certified in criminal law since 1983, and is a member of both the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Channing C. Neary

Admitted: 2004, Texas; also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

Law School: University of Denver, J.D. 2004

College: University of Arizona, B.A., Communication, Pre-law Thematic minor, 1999

Member: State Bar of Texas, Austin Bar Association; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Austin Young Lawyers Association; Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Board Member Texas Advocacy Project; Big Brothers Big Sisters Volunteer

Biography: Former Assistant Travis County Attorney. Certified in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing 2008. Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star in Criminal Defense 2008

Born: Dallas, Texas, August 7, 1977

Channing Neary graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, where she majored in Communication. During college she was an officer in Phi Alpha Delta, a national pre-law fraternity. She graduated from the University of Denver College of Law in 2004. She represented clients in the criminal defense and domestic violence clinics while in law school. She also interned at the Denver District Attorney's Office throughout her three years of law school at DU. She moved home to Texas after graduating from DU to look after her grandparents in Marble Falls and took the Bar exam here in Austin. The day she received her Bar results, she was hired by the Travis County Attorney's Office where she worked for two years as prosecutor until Joe Turner persuaded her to come and work at his office. She has been using her prosecutorial background to zealously represent clients since October of 2006. She has trial experience in both misdemeanor and felony cases. Channing was certified by the National Highway and Safety Administration in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing in April of 2008, and she was awarded a "Rising Star" in the area of criminal defense by Texas Super Lawyers in 2008.

Our Support Staff

Megan Derr

The newest member of our team, Megan Derr, joins us from Clearwater, Florida as a secretary/receptionist. She brings with her over six years of secretarial experience and has completed her initial course work for obtaining a paralegal certification.

Peter Turner

Peter has been with the firm for over 16 years and works as the firm's accounting manager. He received a BBA in accounting in 1982, graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the firm, Peter worked in the tax department of Peat Marwick Mitchell and as an auditor with the Defense Contract Audit Agency. Peter has also been teaching country dance lessons for over 15 years, having been featured on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, and Food Network. He currently teaches at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

Shari Cantrell

Shari has been with the firm for over 16 years and works as the office manager and paralegal to Joe Turner, Channing Neary, and Rhett Braniff. She brings over 23 years of legal experience to the firm, beginning her career as a legal assistant to misdemeanor prosecutors at the State Attorney's Office in Pensacola, Florida. Shari has prior legal experience in family law, probate, civil litigation, and corporate law, but quickly found her niche in criminal law after working alongside Joe Turner.

Not Pictured

Jose Morales keeps the office operating smoothly. He is a jack-of-all-trades, and he has worked with the firm for over 20 years. Kelli Radwanski, our file clerk and runner, is currently seeking a political science degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Both Jose and Kelli are vital to the firm's continued success.