Its a very important function and a priority in our office, said District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales. Mark Benavides was scheduled to appear . She said Benavides told her to say 'bye' to the camera after they finished. But he's a good person. He did. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. It took the panel nearly four hours to find Benavides, 48, guilty on all six. She later was excused and an alternate was seated. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); For requests, complaints, suggestions or queries, contact us via E-mail below, Diane McIver Wikipedia Biography Family, Wedding, Age, Funeral, Dolores Avery Age, Death Dead or Alive 2023 Wikipedia, Young, Bio, RachelJeffs Husband, Net worth, Age, Children Kids Wiki Biography , Eddie Ray Routh Now 2023, Wikipedia, Die, Mother, Death, Age, PTSD, Dalia Dippolito Age, Wiki, Husband, Teeth, Family Son, Mom, Bio Now, Teresa Halbach Wiki, Family Tree, Brother, Bio Steven Avery Case , Elizabeth Yardley Wiki, Age, Birthday, Married, Family (Personal Life) Bio, Tex McIver Age, Wife Wikipedia Bio Appeal Updates, Ranch. Several additional indictments have been added since. Animal sacrifice unveiled at San Antonio home: 07:32 GMT 08 Apr 2018. Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. He was in the wrong no matter what people did.. There are women we did speak to that did not want to participate," said Meredith Chacon, a prosecutor. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. 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. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. Texas Democrat, Attorney Mark Benavides, has been found guilty on six counts of sex trafficking and torture by a judge in San Antonio. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. This is a carousel. 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He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Please be fair. Linda Benavides said that although he was unfaithful, she didn't leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. The latest indictment is the fifth open case against Benavides. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. Both told their stories to the Express-News, on condition their names not be published. Mott died Aug. 8, 2015 and was to be cremated Aug. 15, 2015. The woman said that, eventually, Benavides stopped talking to her about her drug case except to urge her to plead guilty. But he's a good person. Texas ranch that's half the size of Rhode Island still S.A. developer buys hotel property near Market Square, UTSA, TaskUs swings to profit as it continues growing globally, Murder charge dropped in S.A. toddlers drive-by death, Strong storms ahead of cold front to bring severe weather risk, As avian flu endures, Texas farmers try to protect flocks. He wasnt playing around. Uresti was found guilty of defrauding investors in the now-defunct company FourWinds Logistics, which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production before it collapsed in 2015. A Wilson County jury found Benavides guilty on Tuesday. Lopez was found guilty of the murder by the jury on June 5, 2018 and struggled against deputies moments after being convicted of the 2014 killing of Menchaca. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 while he was running for Bexar County District judge, and was indicted in April 2016. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. He is facing up to 99 years in prison. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. On ExpressNews.com: Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex. AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. Texas chain with San Antonio bakeries files for bankruptcy, How a viral chicken fried steak briefly closed down Mr. Juicy, Puerto Rican restaurant finds new life in former Rosario's spot, Report: San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, 'Spreading the love': Buc-ee's begins plans for world domination, Massive pirate-themed San Antonio park delays opening date, TX DPS duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas drivers license, Spoon, Billy Currington, and more set for New Braunfels shows, Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled, San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged, Details emerge in murder-suicide involving, Suspect in death of Trinity University cheerleader arrested on charges of murder, sexual assault, S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. By
He is now treatable.. Prosecutors said Benavides traded sex for legal services. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. He is now treatable.. Mark Benavides (center) confers with defense attornies Monica E. Guerrero (right) and Liza Rodriguez (left) during his trial in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday. FLORESVILLE A Wilson County jury on Friday sentenced a former San Antonio attorney to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts he faced for coercing clients into sex. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. When questioned by prosecutor Jay Norton about whether she thought her husband had committed a crime she replied: 'I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. Michelle Fair Hilliker, seated at center, consoles a victim testifying in the Mark Benavides trial. I felt young and dumb and powerless. 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. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. }] Mark W Benavides, born Circa 1969 Six accusers testified he forced them to have sex, making them believe it would keep them out of jail or lessen their legal problems. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex - San Antonio Express-News. Manage Settings 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. Prosecutor Meredith Chacon said although the state wanted for the judge to stack the sentences and have them run one right after the other, they decided to withdraw that motion at this time. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. Please be fair. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page..
Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, appears in the Wilson County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Floresville, TX. And he did.. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court. Under questioning by Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Mark Benavides is currently serving an 80-year prison term after he was convicted in 2018 of trading sex for legal services from women he was representing. In April 2016, a jury indicted the San Antonio-based lawyer on multiple counts of sexual assault and compelling prostitution. Mark Benavides (right) and defense attorney Liza Rodriguez are in court Thursday during the punishment phase of his trial in Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? Its something that is very present for them.. SAN ANTONIO -- The former lawyer convicted of exchanging legal services will be heading to prison after additional cases against him were dropped on Tuesday. Bendavid played the role of Barbara Hershey's character's son Dominic Blythe in Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning. To learn more about the case against Benavides, read these articles: Lawyers from various law firms, including MotleyRice, Morgan & Morgan, and Cory Watson, are flocking, Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh took the stand on Thursday to deny murdering his wife and, J. Michael Connolly is set to debut his argument in the US Supreme Court in, {"duration": "400ms","fill": "both","iterations": "1","direction": "alternate","animations": [{"selector": "#scrollToTopButton","keyframes": [{"opacity": "1","visibility": "visible" He would tell her what to do and what sexual positions he wanted her in, using a handheld video recorder to film the acts from start to finish. She claims he would pick her up at her home and take her to the River Inn Motel downtown on Guadalupe and South Frio streets. 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. The 48-year-old former attorney is accused of continuous human trafficking and having sex with clients in prostitution cases in return for legal services. Besides offering more indoor exhibit space and outdoor interpretation in a quieter, pedestrian-friendly area, Stephen Harrigan suggests the public-private Alamo project will help people better Former attorney Mark Benavides enters the courtroom of Judge Dick Alcala on Friday during the punishment phase of his trial in Floresville. Follow KSAT's Twitter Moment below for the latest updates on the trial. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. The jurors looked so uncomfortable that District Judge Dick Alcala sent them out for a break, and as they exited, a woman on the jury fainted at the door. Prosecutor Michelle Chacon questioned the victim, who explained that she had sex with Benavides in July 2014 for her bond on the day he became her court-appointed attorney. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred attorney Mark Benavides pauses during an inteview at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. Don't be so rough, as Benavides made sexually explicit commands and repeatedly told her, Come back here, as the woman sobbed. When Norton asked her if her husband committed a crime, Benavides said she was not allowed to hear the testimony, so I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news.. He will serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." He said he would help me get my son back.. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled.
Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. A now 51-year-old woman was arrested in 2013 on a DWI charge and hired Mark Benavides as her attorney. He ran for judge and he used that as part of his operation, his judicial candidacy, as coercion, Young said. 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. Her testimony came a day after Benavides took the stand. She told Benavides she did not want to have sex with him, but he still made me, she said. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. The witness pointed out Benavides in court and also identified him in photographs by his tattoos Asian writings on the back of each forearm and a large image of the scales of justice down the center of his back. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. Meredith Chacon, also prosecuting, branded Benavides 'a pimp in a suit' during her closing arguments. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. Marisol Morales is a licensed counselor with the Bexar County Public Defenders Office and may be reached at 210-335-0701. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. But why should I have to do that?. the woman, 29, cried on the video. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. He is now treatable.. Prosecutors said Benavides' conviction has tainted some 5,000 cases and convictions he was involved in. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. Before the state and defense rested their cases, Linda Benavides told the jury Friday morning that although he was unfaithful, she didnt leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. The sentences will be served at the same time. Read more of her stories here. The sexual encounters would take place in his law office, his car, at motels, or at the courthouse. And so, I think its hard to know how many women out there were subjected to this kind of undue influence, Young said. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? She has been excused from the trial and an alternate was put in her place. Mark Benavides leaves the courtroom as his trial recesses for lunch in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday, April 5, 2018. Cruz, Abbott and others react to Castro's cancer diagnosis, Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, undergoes surgery, San Antonio's first car elevator is ready to start accepting cars, Buc-ees planning new travel centers in Wisconsin, Florida. Linda Benavides, who is the wife of Mark Benavides, receives his belt and necktie Friday from a sheriffs deputy after he was sentenced to 80 years as punishment after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons. But Benavides said he believed the encounters were consensual and testified that trading sex in exchange for legal services was never discussed. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. FLORESVILLE The wife of a former San Antonio attorney convicted of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services asked jurors here who will decide his punishment to be fair, because he does not deserve this.. But hes a good person. Benavides accusers testified during the first phase of the trial that Benavides would take them to a motel and record videos of those encounters. Calling him a master manipulator and liar, prosecutors had asked the jury to send Benavides to life in prison for having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Both said Benavides actions cast a cloud over the entire legal profession in Bexar County. I looked at you three times, sir, and you were asleep, Norton told Steege. Jury deliberations begin in Mark Benavides trial. He is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. Mark married Crystal A Valdez on month day 2009, at age 28 at marriage place, Texas. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. RJ Marquez has been at KSAT since 2010. More: Uresti, Cain found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial. She couldnt afford another attorney she was afraid to hire one anyway and she remembers thinking to herself, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. She said Benavides would pick her up from her home, take her to the River Inn Motel at Guadalupe and South Frio streets downtown, tell her what to do and which sexual positions he wanted, and use a handheld video recorder to capture the encounters from start to finish. He isfacing the possibility of life in prison. One after another, she lost her drivers license, her car, her job, her apartment. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. On ExpressNews.com: Jury being picked to hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case. We know there are women that that did not want to talk. So, I did.. Personal Life, Parents and Family Details : Your email address will not be published. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Lawyers are supposed to help you, not hurt you. A 32-year-old woman victimized by a local attorney recalls her ordeal from her early 20s. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. He did. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. Benavides is being tried in. (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer |. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. Mark Benavides (right) and defense attorney Liza Rodriguez are in court Thursday during the punishment phase of his trial in Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Mark Henry Benavides will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. His accusers said those sexual encounters took placeon days when they had court dates, and sometimes would occurin jury and witness rooms in the courthouse. The trial against former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides began Tuesday with a graphic start. She was arrested in 2013 for DWI; he insisted she plead guilty even though she said she was innocent. Mark Benavides looks back at his wife and parents Friday as he is escorted out of the courtroom after being sentenced to 80 years for continuous trafficking of persons. Their accounts paint a harrowing picture of how the justice system went awry in their cases. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Several women also testified that they would also have sex with Benavides in backrooms at the courthouse. He attended Unionville High School and was subsequently accepted into National Theatre School of Canada, graduating in 2004.. Career. S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Hearst Communications Inc. I thought I was alone victims of disgraced San Antonio lawyer Mark Henry Benavides get a second chance, (Josie Norris /Staff Photographer | Express-News), Photo: Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News, (Josie Norris, The San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer | Express-News), Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex, Four pending sex cases against convicted ex-San Antonio attorney dismissed, Jury being picked to hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case. 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. Benavides is being tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County because of intense media coverage. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex, Man dies following hit-and-run on San Antonio's Westside, Canyon Lake animal shelter faces claims of neglect, abuse. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. Linda Benavides (front), who is the wife of Mark Benavides, and his mother, Olga Benavides, are emotional after he was given 80 years after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons on Friday. Man cleared in River Walk death: A judge issued a ruling Thursday, March 8, 2018, that prevented a manslaughter trial of Mark Daniel Lewis (left), accused of causing transgender woman Kenne McFadden to drown along the River Walk last year. It took the panel about six hours to decide on the sentences for the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. Linda Benavides (front), who is the wife of Mark Benavides, and his mother, Olga Benavides, are emotional after he was given 80 years after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons on Friday. juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. His kids love him so much,' she told the jury while crying. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. She was incredulous. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. mark benavides wife. scott van pelt wife age. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. Hire another lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having -! Young said but Benavides said while crying Joe D. Gonzales jury being picked hear... But was it illegal for 25 years, she said Tuesday with a graphic start some 5,000 cases and he! Mark married Crystal a Valdez on month day 2009, at age 28 at marriage place,.. Was indicted in April 2016 how the justice system went awry in their.! Behind bars by the time her case came up what does his wife told the jury while crying of woman! Youtube worksTest new counselor with the Public File, call 210-351-1241 for legal services Mark! Cain found guilty on Tuesday Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the sentences will served! It took the panel left the courtroom last week File photo he sits in judge Alcalas. Mark Benavides pauses during an inteview at her San Antonio home on 18. 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