RON RANGEL

In-person jury pools will resume in Bexar County in March, nearly three years after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

High-profile trials scheduled for 2023 are faced with uncertainty as the district attorney’s office has recently lost many attorneys.

Bexar County Criminal District Court judges have appointed attorney Miguel Najera to fill a newly created associate judge position, according to county officials.

More than three years after a 72-year-old man was fatally shot his stepson will be going to trial.

Juan David Ortiz is charged with capital murder of multiple persons.

A recent initiative by Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales to curb gun violence is not one that judges can easily rule on.

Bexar County Criminal District Courts are working to tackle mental health by asking the state for more funding.

A San Antonio man was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Tuesday for the brutal attack of his former girlfriend with a metal baseball bat in 2019, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

The courthouse is bustling again with in-person jury trials back in session but its leading to frustration for some as parking is now limited.

Since reopening to in-person jury trials, some backlogged cases have started to clear out.

Jury summons still being sent out despite in-person trials on hold

In-person jury trials scheduled in the first two weeks of January will be postponed due to the surge of coronavirus infections in Bexar County.

In the last newsletter for 2021, see the top 10 court moments of the year

It’s life in prison for Miguel Gutierrez who was found guilty last month of the 2017 death of 11-month-old boy Xzavier Cortez

A 53-year-old man pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 379th District Court on Thursday and waived his right to a trial.

For the first time in two years, the courts will be fully open in 2022.

Judge Ron Rangel said because the county has entered the low transmission phase of COVID-19 protocols, jury trials will be allowed to increase.

In-person jury trials will start back up in Bexar County on Oct. 4.

The Bexar County court system is bracing for a new bail reform law that goes into effect Dec. 2.

While there is no way of telling when jury trials will begin again, Administrative Judge Ron Rangel is hoping to lift the current moratorium this fall.

With a widely watched capital trial complete, there is another delay for in-person jury trials in Bexar County.

Officials hope the new program will improve legal services for defendants who are indigent, meaning they don’t have enough money to pay for a lawyer.

After GA-13 was ruled unconstitutional on Monday, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said that as many as 300 prisoners now qualify to be released.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that heavily limited jail releases was ruled “wholly unconstitutional” by 379th District Court Judge Ron Rangel on Monday.

Jurors in the Otis McKane capital murder trial are expected to begin deliberating his fate Friday.

Just as the courts started picking juries for in-person trials, the judge calls for the...

In-person jury trials have been suspended less than two months after they resumed for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

As COVID-19 infections surge in Bexar County, the judge who oversees how the courthouse runs has suspended jury services.

Judge Ron Rangel signed an order on July 29 mandating everyone who steps foot inside the Bexar County courthouse to wear a face mask.

With the Delta variant causing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations locally, the Bexar County Courthouse complex is upping its efforts to mitigate the virus’s spread.

With a backlog of more than 5,000 domestic violence cases in the Bexar County court system, more judges have agreed to take them on.

A man recalled to a jury the moments he heard gunshots and finding San Antonio Police Detective Benjamin Marconi slain in his patrol car.

A Bexar County judge set bond at $1 for Janie Villeda and other inmates who are awaiting release from the Bexar County Jail.

Bobby Martinez is given a guilty verdict in court Friday after jury deliberated for about 4 hours.

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New protocols are allowing for more trials to take place and more cases being settled.

While masks are still encouraged, restrictions for those fully vaccinated have eased at the Cadena Reeves Justice Center.

After a 13-month delay, in-person jury trials will begin Tuesday in Bexar County.

Gov. Abbott issued an executive order barring governmental entities from requiring masks, but Bexar County courts can keep the requirement.

In-person jury trials will resume next month in Bexar County, ending a 15-month moratorium on jury service.

A schedule for returning to jury trials, both in-person proceedings and virtual, has been presented to all 44 Bexar County judges.

Bexar County officials began mailing jury summonses to area residents one week ago -- the first time they’ve been sent since a moratorium on jury service was ordered in March 2020 amid coronavirus concerns.

For the first time since mid-March 2020, jury duty summons in Bexar County will begin showing up in mailboxes next month followed by jury trials June 1.

Otis McKane set to stand trial in death penalty case on July 12.

Bexar County District Court Judge Ron Rangel has recused himself from the upcoming felony perjury trials of former Precinct 2 Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela and her one-time captain, Marc D. Garcia, the KSAT 12 Defenders confirmed Wednesday.

A non-jury bench trial in Judge Angelica Jimenez’ 408th District Court was the only in-person court proceeding held in the Bexar County Courthouse complex on Tuesday.

Under a plan submitted to Bexar County Commissioners by Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel, all county courts will be allowed to conduct in-person hearings beginning on Monday.

When Bexar County District Courts reopen for trials there are five high-profile cases that might be in the docket for 2021. SAN ANTONIO – As Texas has “opened 100%”, the Bexar County courts remain closed to in-person and jury trials. These trials will take place in the 227th District Court by Judge Kevin O’Connell. AdWhen this retrial takes place it will be in the 144th District Court with Judge Michael Mery. When this trial is set it will take place in the 399th District Court with Judge Frank Castro presiding.

SAN ANTONIO – Jury selection will resume Monday in the capital murder trial of a man accused in the execution-style slaying of a San Antonio Police Department detective in 2016. It has been four and a half year years since veteran San Antonio Police Department Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot in the head at point blank range as he sat in his patrol car outside police headquarters. Jury selection in the capital murder trial of 35-year-old Otis McKane, Marconi’s accused killer, began last fall. AdStill, Rangel, who will preside over the trial, said he isn’t considering a change of venue. The Backstory: Otis McKane on trial for execution-style killing of SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi

”We don’t want jury service to be a death sentence for any jurors or any participants in the court process,” Rangel said. The latest Texas Supreme Court order issued Friday gives individual authority to local administrative judges. AdThe Texas Supreme Court emergency order expires June 1. “Maybe if it’s not extended, those minimum safety protocols would not be required to enter into the courthouse,” Rangel said. But he said that for now the protocols will remain in place in all Bexar County courtrooms.

SAN ANTONIO – The circumstances under which the two latest grand juries served were anything but ideal, with the pandemic ongoing and the recent winter storms in the Bexar County area. The 12-member panels met alternately twice weekly in the cavernous central jury room in the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center basement, which made maintaining social distancing ideal. The juries reviewed a combined total of about 1,600 cases, down considerably from a usual average of 2,000 cases per grand jury, according to Rangel. AdHe said maintaining the secrecy that by law must surround grand juries was a challenge due to the sheer size of the central jury room, which can accommodate more than 600 people. “We had extra security outside the central jury room so that nobody would go into the room that is normally open to the public,” Rangel said.

Water also seeped through walls down to three courtrooms on the fourth floor, 187th District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd said. ”We had some major damage in our court coordinator’s office,” Boyd said. ”We’re trying to keep the courthouse safe from folks coming in and getting sick as a result of the pandemic,” Rangel said. Rangel said that will likely continue in spite of any water damage. Related: Water pipe bust floods Bexar County DA’s office, damages files

SAN ANTONIO When jury service was put on hold due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, courtroom activity at the Bexar County Courthouse and Cadena-Reeves Justice Center was nearly shut down entirely in mid-March. Since then, the backlog of felony cases awaiting trial in the countys 10 criminal district courts has gone beyond 2,300 cases, and that is just felony cases. State district courts in Bexar County preparing to reopenWe never go into a panic mode, said Local Administrative Judge Ron Rangel. The jury service moratorium is scheduled to be lifted on June 30. COVID-19 pandemic doesnt stop Bexar County grand juries from meeting

SAN ANTONIO As state district courts prepare to reopen for trials, Bexar County is making changes in order to comply with public safety guidelines dictated by the coronavirus pandemic. Following Metro Health Department protocols, cloth seats are being replaced by folding chairs and social distancing directions are in place in the Central Jury Room. Guidelines proposed for resuming court proceedings in Bexar CountyWhen the protocols are accomplished, jury summons will be sent out. He added that because of the limited number of prospective jurors in the Central Jury Room due to social distancing guidelines, jury selection for trials must change. COVID-19 pandemic doesnt stop Bexar County grand juries from meetingThe courts are going to have to alternate, sort of take turns, and work together, Rangel said.

Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez of the Bexar County Court at Law 13 announced on March 13 that she had gone into a 14-day self-quarantine after exposure to a defendant who admitted he had spent time with a friend who was exposed to the coronavirus in Italy. Gonzalez told KSAT that she requested the county deep clean her office and courtroom. Earlier in the day, Judge Ron Rangel of the 379th District Court, issued a letter saying that jury trials have been suspended until April 17. Anyone who receives a jury summons during this time should ignore it the Judge said in the letter. In the interim, we will continue to monitor the spread of the virus and notify the public of any updates, Judge Rangel added.

Bexar County suspends jury duty for a month amid coronavirus spreadBexar County will cease calling people in for jury duty for the next several weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Bexar County will cease calling people in for jury duty for the next several weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Photo: Tom Reel /Staff File Photo Photo: Tom Reel /Staff File Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bexar County suspends jury duty for a month amid coronavirus spread 1 / 1 Back to GalleryBexar County will cease calling people in for jury duty for the next several weeks as concern about the spread of coronavirus continues to rattle people in San Antonio, across Texas and around the globe. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. casesSummoned individuals will not be penalized for not appearing to jury duty during these dates, the memo stated. In the interim, we will continue to monitor the spread of the virus and notify the public of any updates.Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, presiding judge of County Court-at-Law No.

Coombs oldest son, Xavier, was 20-year-old when he was killed in a crash on April 25, 2015. "He has been in custody over three years and he's continuously in custody," Rangel said. After a plea agreement, Marchini was sentenced to 10 years in prison but the time he served for violating his bond agreement counted towards the sentence. Coombs said she and her family are serving a life sentence."This guy got to get married in prison...my son won't get married. He's had a baby, my son won't have a baby," Coombs said.

SAN ANTONIO - Criminal defendants in Bexar County some charged with heinous offenses are being released on their own recognizance after being held in jail 90 days or longer. Despite the seriousness of the felony offense, Tate was released from jail in late May without paying bail. Bexar County Court records show his attorney filed a motion seeking release because of delay on May 21, since 90 days had passed since Tate's arrest and he had still not been indicted. Rangel denied his request to be released and Tate remains in custody at the Bexar County Jail. Henricksen said prosecutors knowingly did not indict Hernandez within 90 days.

SAN ANTONIO - Statistics suggest a new magistrate system implemented on May 1 is already proving successful, according to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. The numbers show that mental health diversions doubled during the first month of the program. Referencing those mental health numbers, Wolff said, If we can help somebody on the front end, maybe weve changed their whole life around.He said that the numbers also reflect a decrease in jail population. And perhaps the most significant thing, Wolff said, is the presence of a public defender for an arrested person. Administrative District Judge Ron Rangel is among the county and district judges opposed to the new program.

SAN ANTONIO - Pride month is going out with a bang this weekend in San Antonio. The Pride Bigger Than Texas Festival and Parade will start at 11 a.m. and run till 7 p.m. Saturday. Bigger events will be happening throughout the day, including Pride Championship Wrestling at 3 p.m. and a mass wedding officiated by Judge Ron Rangel, of the 379th District Court, which will start at 4 p.m. Starting at 8:45 p.m., the Krystal Kelly Running of the Queens High Heel Race will commence, acting as the official kickoff for the Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade. Those running in the race will be competing for many prizes including a VIP pass to the Bonham Exchange.