Vaccine or community service? Some Bexar County judges offering new incentive to defendants

SAN ANTONIO – County and district judges in Bexar County are looking to encourage more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine by offering some defendants an incentive.

Beginning in June, judges started offering the option of eliminating hours of community service by getting a vaccine.

“Judges are offering anywhere from four to 24 hours if a person shows that they are fully vaccinated and they get credit for those hours,” said 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza, who is one of the judges offering the incentive.

The idea is meeting the approval of some lawyers.

“It’s been very positive, and its just another way defendants can complete their probation or deferred adjudication successfully,” Locke Law Group attorney Shannon Locke said.

With in-person jury trials once again on hold, the vaccine incentive is just another way to keep cases moving and also keeping the community safe.

“Trying to promote the overall health of our community is something that as judges we care about,” Meza said.

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