About Us

A Defense Attorney Focused on Teamwork

So let’s talk for a moment about what I mean by “us.” There is a group called the Advertising Review Department of the State Bar of Texas and they are worried that I am trying to make you think we have more than one lawyer. We don’t.

That said, my mom told me when I was really young that everybody likes working for someone who talks about all the things “the team” does well, instead of a person who takes credit for everything. I don’t like to use the word “I” to describe how I work as a defense attorney, because I use other professionals to help me give you excellent service. I also want you to feel like you are a member of that team. Your defense will require your involvement. I want “us” to work together towards the best solution to your problem.

Meet R.C.

After law school, I served as a prosecutor for two and a half years in San Antonio. I worked my way up the chain of command, but when I was told I couldn’t be promoted unless I cut my hair, I quit. During my time as a prosecutor, I tried many people for DWIs. My first DWI client hired me the day I left the district attorney’s office. More about R.C.

What does being a ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist mean? It means I’ve studied the scientific process of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Those are the scientific methods used to determine the amount of alcohol or other intoxicants in a blood sample.

For each lab, there is a slightly different procedure they use for preparing the blood sample for analysis. Blood has to be taken from the vial and several chemicals are added to it. Depending upon what substance they are looking for or what brand of machine they are using, the parameters are different. The precise combination of those chemicals is important. Too little or too much of one chemical may inflate the result or invalidate the test.

Does your lawyer know what n-propanol is? And how it can affect your reading? A lawyer-scientist like myself will know the answer to these questions. He will know how to ask for the correct paperwork from the lab. He will force the government scientist to “show their work” before just accepting a number as the value of your blood alcohol level.

As you can imagine, if you don’t really know the specifics of these fields, it becomes impossible to tell whether the State’s scientist has done their job correctly. If your case is going to come down to how this analysis was performed, it’s best to get someone who understands it through and through.

Meet Corey

Corey is the newest addition to the team. He is the paralegal for the Law Office of RC Pate. He is not an attorney but law has always been a field that has interested him. Corey currently holds an an Associate’s degree in paralegal studies from San Antonio’s community college (Alamo Colleges), and is currently enrolled at Colorado State University working towards a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. When he is not working or in school, he tries to stay as active as possible. More about Corey.

Contact Us Today to Speak With a Defense Attorney

If you’ve been accused of a crime in central or south Texas, call the Law Office of RC Pate at (210) 275-7294 or fill out the online form to schedule a FREE consultation.