PROFESSIONALS

Johnny Sutton

Partner / Austin, TX

P   ‭512.370.1800‬
E   jsutton@ashcroftlawfirm.com
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Mr. Sutton has dedicated his career to defending the innocent and standing up for the rule of law.

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With more than 20 years government experience, Johnny Sutton has acquired expertise as a front-line trial prosecutor and a top policy advisor to a Governor and a President. Mr. Sutton runs the firm’s Austin office, which specializes in internal investigations, white-collar criminal defense and helping companies comply with federal law.

From November 2001 to April 2009, Mr. Sutton led one of the largest and busiest United States Attorney’s Offices in the nation. The Western District of Texas covers 93,000 square miles, 68 counties and 660 miles of U.S.-Mexico border. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Sutton managed more than 300 employees, a $28 million annual budget and directed 43,000 federal prosecutions and thousands of civil cases. Under Mr. Sutton’s leadership, the office led the nation in drug convictions, was second in illegal alien prosecutions, won more than 105 public corruption convictions and sent nearly 400 violent criminal gang members to prison.

In 2003, then-United States Attorney General John Ashcroft appointed Mr. Sutton to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee—a panel of 17 U.S. Attorneys that advise the General and help carry out the President’s national goals. Mr. Sutton served from 2003 until 2009 and was chairman for nearly two years.

After leading the Bush-Cheney Department of Justice Transition Team in 2000, Mr. Sutton was named Associate Deputy Attorney General. He held the position until becoming U.S. Attorney.

From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Sutton served as the Criminal Justice Policy Director for then-Governor George W. Bush. Mr. Sutton was the chief policy advisor to the Governor on all criminal justice issues.

From 1988 to 1995, Johnny was a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas where he successfully tried 17 murder jury trials, including seven for capital murder.

Mr. Sutton attended the University of Texas at Austin on a baseball scholarship where he was a two-year lettermen and the starting left fielder for the 1983 University of Texas National Championship baseball team. Mr. Sutton was voted the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Central Regional Baseball Tournament in 1983. Mr. Sutton is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.

Cases include:

  • Exoneration of CEO of a deep-water oil drilling company in a US DOJ FCPA investigation.
  • Conducted major investigations for two prestigious universities resulting in conclusive reports and resolutions for the schools.
  • Obtained a deferred prosecution agreement from DOJ for 75 year-old company accused of federal campaign violations.
  • Convinced government to not indict executives of large physical therapy company, resolved with fine and company was able to continue their business.
  • United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas
  • Chair, Attorney General’s Advisory Committee
  • Associate Deputy U.S. Attorney General
  • Criminal Justice Policy Director to Texas Governor George W. Bush
  • Assistant District Attorney, Harris County, TX, District Attorney’s Office
  • J.D., University of Texas School of Law
  • B.A., University of Texas
  • Texas