Christopher M. Gunter - caution: graphic description of crime

Mr. Christopher M. Gunter is a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, where he grew up and also earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas. He has been licensed to practice law in the State of Texas since November 24, 1980, and is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law. Mr. Gunter began his legal career with the Travis County Attorney's Office and then the Travis County District Attorney's Office. As an Assistant D.A., he prosecuted Leroy Barrow for the capital murder of Lynn Sternberg. Although that trial resulted in a death sentence for Mr. Barrow, the case was reversed and retried by different prosecutors and Mr. Barrow received a life sentence the second time. Shortly after trying the case against Mr. Barrow, Mr. Gunter became a defense attorney. He has also represented two defendants in capital murder trials: James Carl Lee Davis and Kenneth McDuff. In this interview, Mr. Gunter describes the Barrow, Davis, and McDuff trials, and the evolution of his own views about the death penalty. His beliefs are not the focus of our interview; however, they are integral to Mr. Gunter's story and to excise them would not do justice to his experience.

In the video segment of the interview posted here, Mr. Gunter talks about his representation of James Carl Lee Davis. In March, 1984, Mr. Davis beat to death two little boys, Tyron and Tom Johnson, and sexually assaulted and beat to death their teenage sister, Evet. A Travis County jury convicted Mr. Davis and sentenced him to death; the State of Texas executed Mr. Davis on September 9, 1997. Mr. Davis' execution was the first to result from a Travis County jury's death sentence since 1960.

The Texas After Violence Project does not want to post gratuitously graphic descriptions of crime. The core of this interview, however, is the tension Mr. Gunter sees between the horrific nature of Mr. Davis' crime, on the one hand, and Mr. Davis' severe mental illness, on the other. To edit out the brief but gruesome facts would take away the sharp central conflict of this interview, so we have not done that. But please think carefully, know yourself or your audience, and use your judgment before you decide to view this video or show it to other people.

Read the complete interview transcript.

Information about the interview:

Narrator: Christopher M. Gunter
Date of interview: July 25, 2008
Place: Law Office of Christopher M. Gunter, Austin, Texas
Interviewer: Virginia Raymond
Videographer: Gabriel Solis
Also present: Diana Salgado
Transcriber: Megan Eatman
Reviewer and proofreader: Virginia Raymond
Length of this video clip:
Length of interview: 01:03:50
Equipment: Sony 1080i mini-HD DV camcorder with Sennheiser external microphone
Recorded on: Sony mini-DV cassettes
Relationship of interviewer team to narrator: The team met Mr. Gunter for the first time on the date of the interview.
How this interview came about: Based on the recommendations of numerous criminal defense lawyers in Austin, and her own knowledge of Mr. Gunter's reputation, Virginia Raymond contacted Mr. Gunter to request an interview.
Date of donation of interview to Texas After Violence Project:
Date of donor's instruction regarding web publication:
Video imported by: Gabe Solis
Video edited by: Sabina Hinz-Foley
Video posted by: Sabina Hinz-Foley
Importing software: Initially iMovie, then Final Cut Pro
Editing software: Final Cut Pro
Text: Virginia Raymond
Posting date: July 1, 2009

Copyright Christopher M. Gunter and the Texas After Violence Project 2009. Permission for educational, non-commercial use granted provided the user fully attributes the source of the material and this website.

ASA format:
Gunter, C.M., Raymond, V.M., and Solis, G.D. (Producers). (2009). Christopher M. Gunter interview [Motion picture]. U.S.: Texas After Violence Project. Retrieved [Month date year YOU retrieve the interview from this website; delete these brackets from your citation], from Texas After Violence Project Web site: http://www.texasafterviolence.org/node/290

MLA format:
Gunter, Christopher M. "Christopher M. Gunter Interview." Interview with Virginia Marie Raymond and Gabriel Daniel Solis. Texas After Violence Project, 2009. Texas After Violence Project. Ed. Virginia Marie Raymond, Gabriel Daniel Solis, and J. J. Campbell. 1 July 2009.* Texas After Violence Project. [Date YOU retrieve the video from this website; delete these brackets from your citation] http://www.texasafterviolence.org/node/290