Defense attorney questions authenticity of forensic evidence in assault trial

SAN ANTONIO – Defenders for a man in court accused of intoxication assault and aggravated assault spent Wednesday morning challenging forensic evidence in the case.

Outside the jury’s presence, the attorney for Kassey Williams, 40, questioned the credibility of the scientific forensic evidence prosecutors planned to introduce in Williams’ trial.

A passenger in a car he was driving was critically injured when it crashed into a utility police in the predawn hours of June 1, 2017, near the intersection of I-10 and Foster Road.

Dr. Veronica Hargrove, chief toxicologist of the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, testified about her results in tests done on Williams’ blood following the crash.

“At this time, he had methamphetamine and cocaine in his system,” she said in court.

Defense attorney George Scharmen questioned the evidence, asking whether it was either junk science or irrelevant evidence.

Hargrove answered, “Anytime we do a procedure, we have to show that the results are going to be accurate.”

“We have guidelines that are set up by our accrediting body. We have what are called SOPs, or standard operating procedures, within the lab,” Hargrove said.

Scharmen told the jury at the trial’s outset that Williams’ blood alcohol concentration was .02, well below the state's legal limit of .08.

Since the indictment includes both intoxication assault and aggravated assault allegations and the use of a deadly weapon, the car, Williams could be facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if he is convicted.

Testimony is expected to continue Thursday in Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl’s 175th District Court.