San Antonio DA Threatened Defense Lawyers In Chambers

A Texas district judge testified last week that Bexar County, Texas District Attorney Nico LaHood threatened to “shut down” defense lawyers’ practices while in her chambers. Judge Lori Valenzuela said defense lawyers Joe Gonzales and Christian Hendricksen had raised issues of prosecutorial misconduct, and in response LaHood threatened to shutter their practices and “make sure they never got hired again in a case in Bexar County.” The conduct in question was an ethical matter in a murder case. LaHood and Assistant District Attorney Jason Gross testified that the threats were never made. Valenzuela said the threat had a “chilling effect” that led her to recuse herself from the case.