BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – KSAT has reported on a sweeping update on the domestic violence case backlog in Bexar County.
Previous reports have focused on the district attorney’s office, the felony courts and now the misdemeanor courts.
The bulk of the court cases for domestic violence are misdemeanors.
There are two misdemeanor courts that are solely dedicated to domestic violence cases in Bexar County.
Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez presides over County Court 13, and Judge Melanie Lira presides over County Court 7. Both judges inherited enormous domestic violence case backlogs, which consist of two types of cases.
The first are cases that are filed, meaning judges can move them along.
“Those are being reviewed for either a trial, a plea, they’re in the middle of negotiations,” Lira said. “Sometimes, they’re entering specialty courts like Reflejo or mental health court.”
The other cases are unfiled, which means the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office is still reviewing them.
“If they decide to go forward with the charges, they have enough evidence to swear under oath that they can prosecute this case to a verdict,” Speedlin Gonzalez said. “Then it’ll be a random assignment to either County Court at Law 7 or County Court Law No. 13.”
Breaking down the numbers
The backlog used to lump filed and unfiled cases together.
January 2023:
- 2,330 total pending cases for both misdemeanor courts
January 2024:
- 1,595 total pending cases for both misdemeanor courts
However, misdemeanor court administrators noticed the number of unfiled cases from the DA’s office spiked last year. They decided to track the cases separately for a better overview.
Turns out, more than 80% of the misdemeanor backlog right now is unfiled cases that the DA’s office needs to get through.
KSAT was provided numbers for two points in 2025.
January 2025:
- 891 filed cases
- 2,210 unfiled cases
September 2025:
- 559 filed cases
- 3,014 unfiled cases
The numbers show that the judges’ backlog cases are dropping, while the unfiled DA’s cases are rising.
“We have roughly about 550 filed cases between the two courts,” Lira said. “So, let’s say, theoretically, it’s 250 apiece. That is very little. We could handle that probably in a week if we wanted to — as far as, like, addressing the case statuses.”
Hearing resets
For the thousands of unfiled cases, judges are still in charge of keeping track of those accused perpetrators. This means a lot of hearing resets.
“When this process first started, it was a 30-day reset,” Speedlin Gonzalez said.
However, the defendants kept coming back every month just to hear their case still wasn’t filed.
“Then, we extended that to 60 days,” Speedlin Gonzalez said. “That grew to 90 days, and now, we’re at 120 days. That’s a long time.”
How survivors are affected
Both judges said they know any backlog for any reason could mean survivors are placed back into dangerous situations.
“Anxiety. Uncertainty. For many, continued behaviors at the hands of their abuser,” Speedlin Gonzalez said. “So, in some cases, even the risk of a homicide.”
“A lack of justice,” Lira said. “When you’re not moving forward on cases, it’s keeping people in the cycle of violence.”
What is the solution?
Speedlin Gonzalez did not mince words when she was asked how to fix the backlog.
“Money,” Speedlin Gonzalez said. “You have great protocols, great people performing, but when you don’t give them the proper training because you don’t have the right amount of funding — when you do not pay them enough — it’s not going to get done.”
In KSAT’s story last week on the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office case backlog, the office said it had asked Bexar County for domestic violence attorney raises but didn’t get the funding this go-around.
The county told KSAT that it had already given them more money and prosecutors years prior and that salaries were already at market rate.
“When you know that that pair of jeans is going to cost $50, ‘Well, I’m going to give you $10.’ Well, yeah, you’re giving me funding, but I still can’t get the pair of jeans because I’m still short,” Speedlin Gonzalez said. “That’s the kind of funding that we’re seeing.”
In a statement to KSAT for Tuesday’s story, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office sent KSAT the following statement for this story:
“Over the past several years, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office has been experiencing a massive staffing shortage, which has had a huge impact on the current misdemeanor case backlog. What we have witnessed recently is that while attorney recruitment has been improving, our employee retention continues to be a challenge. We believe the best way to remedy this issue is through higher wages, which we advocated for during the county’s budget cycle and were denied. Until we are able to compensate our attorneys appropriately, the current backlog situation will continue to get worse.
Bexar County District Attorney's Office
Lira had a different take. She doesn’t believe funding is the main issue.
“Not necessarily. I know that there’s been conversations about the pay for the prosecutors. But, when we are facing a staffing issue of 50% or less being staffed at this point, the positions are open. It’s a matter of getting them filled,” Lira said. “So, I do think there is some merit to it. I just don’t think it’s the root cause of the problem.”
Lira suggests a policy change could be the answer.
“I would say a better a better policy, more hands on and reviewing these types of cases,” Lira said. “I can’t ever tell the DA how to do their job. That is why we have separations of this department. However, with some of their staffing issues, it doesn’t allow for certain people to review cases.”
Resources
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is help. KSAT has a list of resources on its Domestic Violence webpage, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse. On the resource page is a section on legal help available.
If it’s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services including the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services at (210) 733-8810.
You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center, which also provides wrap-around services at (210) 631-0100.
The Texas Advocacy Project that offers free legal help can be contacted at Legal Line is 800-374-HOPE.
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