SINTON, Tx — KRIS 6 News has confirmed that two local attorneys, including an assistant San Patricio County attorney, were arrested and booked into the San Patricio County Jail on felony barratry charges before bonding out.
Allison Skipper and Shaun Scott Skipper were taken into custody and each posted $25,000 personal recognizance bonds before their release.
Under the Texas Penal Code, barratry is the illegal solicitation of legal clients.
Under Texas law, a person commits barratry when they attempt to obtain economic benefit by:
Knowingly filed a lawsuit that they were not authorized to pursue.
Soliciting legal employment through in-person contact, phone calls, social media messages, or other electronic communications.
Paying someone to solicit clients on their behalf.
Offering money or other valuables to prospective clients to secure their business.
Paying family members of potential clients for referrals.
The law is designed to protect the public from aggressive or deceptive attorney advertising and solicitation tactics, particularly targeting vulnerable individuals after accidents or other incidents.
Barratry is classified as a Class A misdemeanor for first-time offenses, but can be elevated to a third-degree felony for subsequent convictions. Beyond criminal penalties, victims of barratry can pursue civil action to void legal service contracts and recover damages, including a minimum statutory recovery of $10,000 per illegal solicitation.
According to State Bar of Texas records, Allison Skipper has been licensed to practice law in Texas since November 2008 and works as an attorney with the San Patricio County Attorney's Office in Sinton.
She graduated from St. Mary's University School of Law in May 2008 and specializes in criminal law.
Shaun Scott Skipper has been licensed since May 2006 and operates his own practice, Shaun S. Skipper, Attorney at Law, in Corpus Christi. He graduated from Baylor University School of Law in November 2005 and focuses on family and juvenile law.
Both attorneys show no prior public disciplinary history with the State Bar of Texas, according to their attorney profiles.
KRIS 6 News has reached out to the San Patricio County Attorney's Office for comment regarding Allison Skipper's employment status, including whether any office policies address criminal charges against staff attorneys, whether Skipper has been placed on administrative leave, if such leave is paid or unpaid.
The San Patricio County Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. This story will be updated when a response is received.
