Robert Edward Barnes (born April 11, 1974) is an American
lawyer,
political commentator, co-host of VivaBarnesLaw with
David Freiheit, and founder of Barnes Law LLP, a
Los Angeles–based law firm.[1][2] Barnes gained notability for regularly representing perceived underdogs and lawsuits involving
constitutionality.[3]
Early life and education
Barnes grew up in
East Ridge, Tennessee, attended Grace Baptist Academy, and later received a scholarship to the
McCallie School, a private all-male high school. Barnes' father died when he was a child.[4]
Barnes was formerly a partner at the Bernhoft Law Firm.[8] He now has his own practice, Barnes Law LLP, and is affiliated with Free America Law Center.[9]
While with Bernhoft in 2008, Barnes served as one of actor
Wesley Snipes' criminal defense lawyers. After a federal trial, a jury acquitted Snipes of conspiracy and felony tax evasion but convicted him on three out of six counts of
misdemeanor failure to file
income tax returns.[13] Judge
William Terrell Hodges imposed the maximum sentence of three consecutive one-year terms.[14] The convictions and sentence were upheld on appeal, where Snipes was represented by other counsel.[15][16][17]
He was one of
Alex Jones's defense attorneys in defamation lawsuits that were filed against Jones by an FBI agent and the parents of victims from the
2012 Sandy Hook massacre after Jones suggested that the shooting may have been staged.[18][19] Pre-trial default judgements were entered against Jones by the judges in all cases, with jury trials later being held for the purpose of assessing damages.[20][21]
Barnes was initially hired as part of
Kyle Rittenhouse's defense team in his criminal trial following the 2020
Kenosha unrest shooting, but Barnes did not end up representing Rittenhouse at trial.[25][26]
He represented bartender Dustin Hice in a
sexual assault lawsuit against
CNN anchor
Don Lemon in 2021,[27] based on a series of allegations that were later retracted.[28]
In 2021 Barnes also represented Amy Cooper in the
Central Park birdwatching incident for the misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report, a charge that was dismissed upon the motion of the prosecutor.[29]
Barnes was hired in 2022 to represent
Amish farmer Amos Miller of Miller's Organic Farm in the United States government's lawsuit against him for refusing to undergo
USDA inspection of his products for religious reasons.[30]
In 2024 Barnes represented Amish farmer Reuben King during sentencing for his May 17, 2023 conviction for privately selling hunting guns from his collection without a license. King was facing 'up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both'. On Jan 23, 2024 the judge ruled King must pay a $35,000 fine and will spend three years on probation.[31]