Jeff Archer, San Antonio Criminal Attorney

Jefferson Branch 'Jeff' Archer is a criminal defense attorney in the San Antonio office of Dunham & Jones. He handles misdemeanor and felony cases in Bexar and Comal Counties, and his caseload consists mostly of DWI and drug charges along with a mix of other serious offenses. In Bexar County he appears most often in County Courts at Law Nos. 2 and 8 and the 290th, 379th, and 399th District Courts.

Mr. Archer grew up just outside San Antonio, near Randolph Air Force Base. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Business from Texas State University in San Marcos in 2009. Before law school he held several jobs. From 2013 to 2014 he was a legal assistant for San Antonio attorney Robert Dittman, preparing documents, attending proceedings, and sitting in on client interviews. He earned his Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2015.

Licensed in Texas in 2016, Mr. Archer stayed in Bexar County and opened his own criminal defense practice, representing mostly indigent clients by court appointment through the Bexar County misdemeanor appointment list from 2017 to 2019. He then joined the legal services company Integreon, working as a contract reviewer on complex corporate litigation from 2018 to 2020 and as an attorney drafting contracts and other documents for clients from 2021 to 2022. The remote work was convenient during the pandemic but ultimately unfulfilling. While resolving one final criminal case that had been put on hold during the pandemic, he was reminded of the energy of the courtroom and returned to defending the accused.

Mr. Archer has handled hundreds of cases and has served as first chair and second chair in jury trials. His first step is reading how a client wants to approach the representation and matching that. He reviews the discovery, discusses the relevant issues and possible defenses, goes over the case with the client, and asks how the client wants to proceed. Careful about risk, he keeps the client's future in focus and makes clear that the decision to take a plea offer or go to trial belongs to the client. As he puts it, some people may not be innocent, but all people deserve a good advocate.

Outside of work, Mr. Archer is an Eagle Scout who has served as an assistant scoutmaster. He enjoys cars and automotive repair and spending time with his dog, Simon.

Jefferson Branch 'Jeff' Archer
Criminal Defense Attorney - Dunham & Jones
St. Mary's University School of Law | Texas State University
Licensed in Texas Since 2016 | Bexar and Comal Counties

Jefferson Branch 'Jeff' Archer, Attorney at Law