2014 - 2023 Marathi.TV - All Rights Reserved. Officials from the Bexar County District Attorneys Office and the Bexar County Public Defenders Office are urging potential sex crime victims of a disbarred San Antonio lawyer to speak up. Mark Benavides (from left) listens as defense attorneysLiza Rodriguez and Monica E. Guerrero confer during the prosecution phanse of his trial in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday, April 5, 2018. In her closing argument, defense attorney Liza Rodriguez said Benavides is not the person jurors saw only in the snippets of video the state put together for them to watch. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. His attorney told the judge that Benavides and his legal team plan to appeal the charges. Charges against ten of eleven people arrested for animal cruelty in March, involving what one official described as some sort of unknown ritual involving dismembered goats and chickens, were later dropped. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. According to court documents, the district attorney's office cited insufficient evidence in dropping the charges. Dr. Benavides has been married to his wife Angela more than thirty-five years. They are not being identified because they are victims of sexual assault. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. Democratic Texas attorney and activist, Mark Benavides, was charged with having sex with a minor, inducing a child under 18 to have sex and compelling prostitution of at least nine legal clients . SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. Animal sacrifice unveiled at San Antonio home: Marisol Morales is a licensed counselor with the Bexar County Public Defenders Office and may be reached at 210-335-0701. I felt like he was coming on to me, and I didnt like it.. RELATED:Ex-Bandidos member testifies about being 'out in bad standings'. More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. The woman in the video later explained to the court that she felt she had to sleep with her lawyer because 'he said he would help me get my son back.'. Defense expert Mark Steege, a sex therapist who testified he has treated hundreds of sex offenders in 35 years, said he evaluated Benavides in April 2017. Immoral. On ExpressNews.com: Jury being picked to hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case. They said Benavides took them to a motel for sex on days when they had court dates and that sometimes the sexual encounters occurred at the Bexar County Courthouse in witness and jury rooms before they were to appear before judges presiding over the cases. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Things changed the day she had a court appearance on her drug charge. Each case is expected to be tried separately. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. San Antonio teen beating: A San Antonio 16-year-old who refused an arranged marriage endured six months of beatings at the hands of her parents before running away from her San Antonio home, according to court documents. All the charges were made when Mark worked as a court-appointed lawyer for his victims. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. Several of clients claimed that Benavides promised them he'd help them, and even get the cases thrown out altogether if they slept with him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. He took me to a small room down a back hallway, and at that point he told me if I didnt perform a sexual act on him right then and there, he would not only kill my case, but try to worsen my case, she said, her voice trembling, even 12 years later. Both told their stories to the Express-News, on condition their names not be published. Mark Benavides, DDS, PC. Who paid? Its a very important function and a priority in our office, said District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. | All Rights Reserved. Published; Dec. 20, 2019 FLORESVILLE A Wilson County jury on Tuesday found a former San Antonio attorney guilty of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Ex-lawyer convicted for coercing clients. Ex-SA lawyer's mother defends convicted son on witness stand. Prosecutors say the cries of pain from the women were real. Prosecutors Meredith Chacon, Jay Norton and Maritza Stewart argued that Benavides coerced,. 25 to life on each count. Corrects TV station in each of the final two grafs on April 16. "He doesn't deserve. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE IN LESS THAN 10 SECONDS, Texas Lawyer Mark Benavides and the Sex for Services Scandal which is Actually Commonplace in Texas Legal Circles. Law360 reported that the initial complaint included allegations that between 2009 and 2015, Benavides forced clients to have sex in courtroom conference rooms, a motel and his office. 'He cheated. Benavides will have to serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides (center) walks into court Wednesday. Meredith Chacon, also prosecuting, branded Benavides 'a pimp in a suit' during her closing arguments. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? She had been a passenger in a car when police found marijuana during a traffic stop and no one claimed it. Salacious Uresti testimony: Denise Cantu, a Harlingen woman whom Uresti helped obtain a $2.5 million legal settlement over the deaths of two of her children in a 2010 vehicle wreck, told jurors that the lawmaker became her financial adviser, confidante, friend and eventually lover. As he walked out, Benavides, 48, glanced at his parents and mouthed I love you to his wife. She told jurors Feb. 1, 2018, that she and Uresti would have sex in his law office. He is a calculating and manipulating liar, she told the jury. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides was sentenced to 80 years after being found guilty of exchanging legal services for sex with his clients. He wouldnt help me for anything, she said. Norton reminded the panel that there were 495 motel receipts that matched many of the dates on 67 of the videos that were shown in the courtroom and that those dates also coincided with the womens court dates. Its something that is very present for them.. The intense media coverage prompted a change of venue to Floresville in Wilson County, where a jury heard testimony from six women Benavides had represented in prostitution or drug cases. I felt like he wasnt even trying to help me anymore, but I already had given him $3,000 and I couldnt afford another lawyer, she said. In her closing argument, defense attorney Liza Rodriguez said the relations that Benavides had with the women were consensual and that many of the things he is accused of may not be ethical but werent illegal. ', Norton said: 'They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion.'. Score a Roomba for under $180 today. Cashin in On Judicial Favoritism in Harris County District Court is Texas Lawyer Tony Buzbee. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. Prosecutors proved that Benavides made women he was representing for alleged crimes, including DUI, minor drug offenses and prostitution, to have sex with him in exchange for legal services. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. She was incredulous. More: S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? (815)-434-0152. 8 arrested in connection to 'organized ATM burglary' operation in North Texas, Fort Worth family pleads for justice in deadly Memorial Day shooting of 15-year-old boy, TROPICAL UPDATE: Arlene expected to weaken, Scattered showers and storms this weekend. She had sought to move only one of the cases but later amended her motion to include all. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. The women said they had sex with Benavides from 2009 to 2012 in locations such as his law office, at motels, in his car and at the Bexar County Courthouse in a meeting room adjacent to a courtroom, after he suggested he could lessen their legal problems or get their cases dismissed if they did so, the affidavit states. We do not offer legal advice. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, the victims mother collapsed in the courtroom. Play it now! Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. The Spitfire Grill works best as a slice-of-life character study, complemented here by Caitlin Geissers warm, empathetic direction. Public Defender Michael Young is working with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit to review hundreds of Benavides cases with an eye toward overturning unfair convictions. A. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'. He was in the wrong no matter what people did, said a 32-year-old woman who was one of Benavides' victims. Menchaca was allegedly beaten with baseball bats, dismembered and grilled on a barbecue pit in 2014. He was deployed to a base near Baghdad in September 2007 . Read More Mark Benavides Wife, Family Age, Bio Wikipedia, Child, Now 2023. Defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero said Benavides admitted he lost his moral compass, and although he deserves to be punished, she asked for mercy. Benavides told her she had to plead guilty to stay out of prison. Both said Benavides actions cast a cloud over the entire legal profession in Bexar County. He also disputed the accusations and questioned police on the charge, one he said he never heard of, and said it could derail his political career, as he was running for district judge at the time. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. Misael started at KSAT-TV as a photojournalist in 1987. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. Its huge, prosecutor Meredith Chacon told KENS5. She was charged with possession of marijuana when police found the drug in a car she was riding in but she didn't have it on her person. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. And so, I think its hard to know how many women out there were subjected to this kind of undue influence, Young said. The sentences will be served at the same time. The case was tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. ), Belarus despot Alexander Lukashenko 'passed out' and was 'bleeding from everywhere' after he collapsed for the second time in a month while visiting Vladimir Putin in Moscow, opposition politician claims, Florida homeowner, 60, is arrested after he 'threatened neighbor with a pistol' after becoming incensed at them backing into his driveway to make a U-turn, 102-year-old doctor reveals her surprisingly simple advice for a long life, You're going to need a bigger boat! He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. Her testimony came a day after Benavides took the stand. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. #kens5eyewitness, Both sides just rested in the Benavides punishment phase. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. This is human trafficking, Chacon said. RELATED:Juror faints watching sex video between ex-San Antonio attorney, client. Apparently, this has been going on for virtually his entire legal career, here. She was arrested in 2013 for DWI; he insisted she plead guilty even though she said she was innocent. The second victim whose record has been expunged met Benavides when she was at the Bexar County Courthouse with her son, who was facing an assault charge. And he did.. Law review article makes case, Oregon's former top administrative judge gets prison time in child pornography case. #kens5eyewitness pic.twitter.com/DGd5QleQXZ, Prosecutors closed by saying Benavides is still lying and deserves life. Read more of her stories here. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. 'You're hurting me Don't be so rough. So, I did.. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will be served concurrently. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Officials have not mentioned Santera, but those arrested were reportedly practitioners of that religion. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. Murder-suicide at upscale apartment complex:Tania Rendon-Santiago was killed at her apartment complex in the 1800 block of Broadway Street in an apparent murder-suicide on March 12. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. Infidelities are not illegal. But he's a good person. Six months later, she was charged with driving under the influence, and she hired him to represent her. Dallas News reported that authorities confiscated almost 250 DVDs of Benavides having sex with the victims. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. She said they would go to a motel in San Antonio, where he told her what to do sexually while recording the encounter. FLORESVILLE A Wilson County jury on Tuesday found a former San Antonio attorney guilty of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. #kens5eyewitness pic.twitter.com/oHvhiGQ4wh, Benavides defense: Mark didnt kill anyone, he can make amends. Ex-San Antonio attorney accused in sex case told brother to destroy DVDs, All Hwy 90 lanes on city's Far Westside near Loop 1604 now open, San Antonio braces for possible weekend storms, flooding. Under questioning by Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. Tex's life was blown away when he was accused of murdering his wife, the businesswoman Diane McIver. Murder-suicide at upscale apartment complex:Tania Rendon-Santiago was killed at her apartment complex in the 1800 block of Broadway Street in an apparent murder-suicide on March 12. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Mott died Aug. 8, 2015 and was to be cremated Aug. 15, 2015. A former San Antonio attorney has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for forcing his clients to have sex with him in return for legal services. He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. One of the women, now 32, covered her eyes and stifled tears as she recounted her ordeal. He did. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. The jury entered deliberations at 1:18 p.m. One former client told police she was a defendant in a criminal case in 2012 and believed Benavides relationship with the judge was such that it could hurt her case if she did not agree to have sex with the lawyer, while another said that when she didnt have enough money to pay for his legal services, she had to meet Benavides every Tuesday to make payments at a motel, according to the affidavit. A recent review off the case showed the arrest wasn't supported by evidence and her conviction has been overturned based on Benavides' ineffectual counsel. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. -Managed Programs dealing with Security (Physical/Informational), Personnel Reliability,. Prosecutors said the lawyer was only worried about himself when he forced six female clients to have sex with him in return for legal aid. It was a case that rattled San Antonio. Officials said the call will be kept confidential. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. Julie Mott trail: A jury awarded Sharlotte and Timothy Mott $8 million on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 after they found Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries negligent in the loss of their daughters body. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. Uresti divorce: A week after state Sen. Carlos Urestis conviction in a salacious trial that included vivid testimony about him carrying on an extramarital relationship, his wife filed for divorce. Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error. Several women also testified that they would also have sex with Benavides in backrooms at the courthouse. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Officials said the women were. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. LIT Sure Does. 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Collapsed in the Benavides punishment phase cited insufficient evidence in dropping the charges convicted Tuesday trafficking! Works best as a court-appointed lawyer for his victims of prison hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case far! With Benavides in backrooms at the same time elizabeth Zavala is a courthouse reporter for KSAT and! In the courtroom 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Media Group, a former San Antonio attorney, client,.
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