mark benavides wife

He wouldnt help me for anything, she said. #kens5eyewitness, Both sides just rested in the Benavides punishment phase. San Antonio lawyer Mark Benavides was shown in a police interrogation video played in a pre-trial hearing Thursday talking to a woman prosecutors identified as his wife and telling her she should. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. Hes a master manipulator of the system.. It's an understatement to call it cheating if its a criminal act, Norton replied. Detectives recovered 246 mini DVDs containing hundreds of videos in which he was seen directing the women during often violent sex. Benavides still has other charges pending. #kens5eyewitness pic.twitter.com/7hNd0vpuwJ, The Benavides family waits for the answer that will change their lives. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Today, Benavides' wife testified on behalf of her husband. Benavides was indicted earlier this month for continuous trafficking of women between 2012 and 2015. She told the court she wanted the change because of news coverage and because some clients alleged Benavides had sex with them in at least two rooms in the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center that are used by jurors, and Guerrero did not want jurors to do their own investigating. There is a potential that if he represented that many people for the 15 years that he practiced law, then there are that many cases that he has touched, and that many people that we might have to review convictions on. Each DVD was labeled and numbered, contained the womens initials and codes or acronyms etched on the discs to describe the particular acts that were performed. 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. A Texas jury sentenced former San Antonio lawyer Mark Benavides to 80 years in prison April 6 for coercing clients to have sex with him in exchange for legal services. This jury understood that., RELATED: S.A. company responds after woman finds 'teeth' in barbacoa. Example video title will go here for this video. More: Uresti, Cain found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial. They have six charges. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts on the Express-News Crime Team. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. She remembers thinking, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. With that indictment, Benavides has five open cases against him. He was disbarred in December 2016. 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. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Manage Settings Tex's life was blown away when he was accused of murdering his wife, the businesswoman Diane McIver. 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. She had sought to move only one of the cases but later amended her motion to include all. the woman, 29, cried on the video. It dragged on for nearly four years. 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Linda Benavides, the wife of convicted ex-San Antonio lawyer Mark Benavides, takes the witness stand on Friday during the punishment phase of his trial. I didnt think it was an actual offense because it happens all the time. The former lawyer says the filmed acts were consensual and role-playing. 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. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced them into having sex to keep them out of jail or lessen their legal troubles, and videotaped the encounters, which were shown to the jury. Defense expert Mark Steege, a sex therapist who testified he has treated hundreds of sex offenders in 35 years, said he evaluated Benavides in April 2017. RELATED:Ex-Bandidos member testifies about being 'out in bad standings'. Their testimony established a pattern Benavides would pick them up from their homes or from jail, then take them to a hotel or a meeting room behind the courtroom to have sex. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides (foreground) walks into court in Floresville in Wilson County on Wednesday. Benavides also questioned the validity of the arrest. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. Benavides was convicted of six counts of continuous trafficking of persons, Dallas News reported. The woman said a friend referred her to Benavides in 2008 for legal representation. Introduction : Frank Azar is a lawyer who practices in the Read more of her stories here. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. RELATED:Juror faints watching sex video between ex-San Antonio attorney, client. Marisol Morales, a case manager at the Public Defenders Office, has been working with the two women and others Benavides abused. A. Your email address will not be published. She has worked at five daily newspapers in Texas, including The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Denton Record-Chronicle. Do not sell or share my personal information. The woman said that, eventually, Benavides stopped talking to her about her drug case except to urge her to plead guilty. Claude Tex McIver, a partner at one of the city's most prestigious law firms, a Republican loyalist whose money and privilege protected him throughout life. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. Prosecutors said the lawyer was only worried about himself when he forced six female clients to have sex with him in return for legal aid. Copyright 2023 American Bar Association. Linda Benavides testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of her husband, Mark Benavides, in Floresville. San Antonio police Detective Manuel Morales testified that the investigators collected 246 DVDs from a file cabinet in which only Benavides had the key. She was charged with possession of marijuana when police found the drug in a car she was riding in but she didn't have it on her person. The sentences will be served at the same time. She replied He doesnt deserve this. 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.. Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed. On Friday morning, Mark's wife, Linda Benavides, cried as she testified and asked the jury for mercy for her family. He has applied for probation, according to court records. Prosecutor Jay Norton said this case was about forced sex, not just about legal services.. The cases stretch back to 2000. He said because of his porn addiction, he made so many porn videos that he had to number them and make notations to keep them straight. Published: 09:01 EDT, 7 April 2018 | Updated: 02:32 EDT, 8 April 2018, Mark Henry Benavides, 48, broke down in tears on Friday as he heard the sentence and mouthed 'I love you' to his wife, who is still staying with him. When she asked why he was filming, he said it was just for him, she told the court. He was in the wrong no matter what people did.. Linda Benavides said she has been a stay-at-home mom for eleven years and both she and their two children are devastated by what has happened to their family. She told jurors Feb. 1, 2018, that she and Uresti would have sex in his law office. Texas lawyer Mark H. Benavides was indicted again on a charge of continuous trafficking of persons in connection with allegations involving four women between 2012 and 2015. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Cop killer trial: Shaun Puente was found guilty on March 21, 2018 for fatally shooting San Antonio Police Department Officer Robert Deckard during a highway chase in Atascosa County on Dec. 8, 2013 that started after Puente, according to witnesses, committed two armed robberies in San Antonio. Wiki Biography / Profile Background Introduction : A former San Antonio lawyer by profession, Mark Henry Benavides, was indicted on 17 counts of compelling prostitution and 18 counts of sexual assault. What they had to say? They are not being identified because they are victims of sexual assault. Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. The jury has been sent to lunch so the court can prepare the charge. As of 2023, he is around 66 years old. At first, Benavides would text or call her when he was lonely or bored, she said. The jury heard testimony from all six accusers during the trial, which began last week. 25 to life on each count. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. She said they'd first had sex in July 2014 - on the same day that he was appointed by the court to work as her attorney. FLORESVILLE A Wilson County jury on Tuesday found a former San Antonio attorney guilty of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. -Managed Programs dealing with Security (Physical/Informational), Personnel Reliability,. Benavides (seen in an undated photo) forced six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases to have sex with him in return for legal help. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. The women said they had sex with Benavides from 2009 to 2012 in locations such as his law office, at motels, in his car and at the Bexar County Courthouse in a meeting room adjacent to a courtroom, after he suggested he could lessen their legal problems or get their cases dismissed if they did so, the affidavit states. He was in the wrong no matter what people did, said a 32-year-old woman who was one of Benavides' victims. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. Things changed the day she had a court appearance on her drug charge. The father-of-two was convicted on all six counts he faced of continuous trafficking of persons and the panel took six hours to decide his sentences. Dallas News reported that authorities confiscated almost 250 DVDs of Benavides having sex with the victims. KENS5 reported that prosecutors say that because Benavides coerced female clients for sex, as many as 5,357 misdemeanor cases he handled may be tainted. The case was later dismissed for a lack of evidence and Elkhaliny was set to be released from county jail without having to pay bail. She was convicted of the DUI charge and was sentenced to two years probation, which she completed in 2016. A lawyer accused of exchanging sex for legal services has been sentenced to 80 years' imprisonment. Please be fair. Judge who once prosecuted murder defendant fails to get colleague kicked off the case, Parental Penalties: Collateral consequences reverberate through families long after sentences are served, The ABA works to help formerly incarcerated people reenter society, Is qualified immunity based on scrivener's error? He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. Even though her record has been expunged, shes still trying to get her drivers license back and pay off fines and fees associated with the original charge. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. Not against mans law.. Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. She told jurors Feb. 1, 2018, that she and Uresti would have sex in his law office. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. When he heard the charges, Benavides denied ever sleeping with clients. Pingback: The Virginia State Bar is Interested in Threesomes but Not Criminal Perjury Laws In Virginia, Your email address will not be published. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. Two of Benavides accusers told authorities Benavides represented them for prostitution cases and told them he would get it dropped if we have sex, according to Law360. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. Is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a Criminal? He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. The affidavit said Benavides exploited the womens belief that they were financially and emotionally attached to him because he was their attorney on their criminal cases. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, appears in the Wilson County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Floresville, TX. The woman who had been charged with drug possession encouraged victims to make that call. A recent review off the case showed the arrest wasn't supported by evidence and her conviction has been overturned based on Benavides' ineffectual counsel. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Score a Roomba for under $180 today. Each case is expected to be tried separately. This is a carousel. Mark Benavides. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex, 'Do not touch it': Poisonous hemlock hospitalizes Texas woman, Texas superintendent arrested in online predator sting. 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He is a calculating and manipulating liar, she told the jury. by Marathi.TV Editorial Team; Feb 6, 2023 Feb 17, 2023; 2 Comments; Frank Azar April 18, 1957. Ottawa, IL 61350. 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. Ex-SA lawyer's mother defends convicted son on witness stand. The former attorney faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons, according to court records. This is what they do for a living, she said. Several of the charges against Benavides, a Democrat who has run unsuccessfully for local judicial positions, carry penalties that dont allow probation. Who determined what positions? I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. By Thursday afternoon, five had testified about their encounters with Benavides. Murder-suicide at upscale apartment complex:Tania Rendon-Santiago was killed at her apartment complex in the 1800 block of Broadway Street in an apparent murder-suicide on March 12. She was incredulous. Shes pleased that the conviction is now off her record, thanks to the DAs and public defenders offices. Required fields are marked *. Norton told the jury that this wasnt Benavides trial alone, that it was shared with every single person who took the stand and told their stories. "His kids love him so much. July 20, 2020As many as 500 women who were represented by a disgraced, now-imprisoned San Antonio attorney could have their convictions overturned as Bexar County prosecutors review their cases with the help of the public defenders office. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. The Spitfire Grill works best as a slice-of-life character study, complemented here by Caitlin Geissers warm, empathetic direction. 'He cheated. She had been a passenger in a car when police found marijuana during a traffic stop and no one claimed it. Infidelities are not illegal. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Womans University at Denton in 1985. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. According to a criminal complaint, authorities alleged Mark Benavides pressured his victims everywhere from courtroom conference rooms to his office and hotels between 2009 and 2015. He was indicted in 2016 on 18 counts of sexual assault and 17 counts of compelling prostitution. Mark Benavides, 48, is on trial, accused of continuous trafficking of persons. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. 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. Six former clients he represented as a court-appointed defense attorney in prostitution and drug cases in Bexar County testified that he coerced them into having videotaped sexual encounters with promises to keep them out of jail, get their cases dismissed or lessen their legal problems. Benavides is accused of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. At the time he had been running as a candidate as a state district judge. Read more of her stories here. On ExpressNews.com: Jury being picked to hear S.A. ex-lawyers sex case. Misael started at KSAT-TV as a photojournalist in 1987. Linda Benavides, wife of ex-SA attorney Mark Benavides, asks jury to please be fair. Nov. 17, 2021 Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 5:02 p.m. Meredith Chacon, shown during the March 2018 trial of Mark Benavides while she was a prosecutor, launched her campaign Tuesday to challenge Bexar. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863. Another victim, now 51, was arrested in 2013 for DWI. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. Since then, he has been named in multiple-count indictments. Bexar County Sheriffs Office. She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. Meredith Chacon, also prosecuting, branded Benavides 'a pimp in a suit' during her closing arguments. I thought I was alone. 1 of 44 Linda Benavides, who is the wife of Mark Benavides, receives his belt and necktie Friday from a sheriff's deputy after he was sentenced to 80 years as punishment after being. And he did.. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. 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The woman in the video later explained to the court that she felt she had to sleep with her lawyer because 'he said he would help me get my son back.'. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides was sentenced to 80 years after being found guilty of exchanging legal services for sex with his clients. 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. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. Its worth life, ladies and gentlemen, Chacon said in her closing argument. Six women are named in the indictment. She was granted probation and successfully completed it. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. I knew he was serious. RELATED: Photos: Driver hospitalized after 30-foot drop off Loop 1604, Benavides, who initially denied having sex with his clients, tells him, I dont understand the connection between having sex with your clients and the charge of compelling prostitution. She said Benavides told her to say 'bye' to the camera after they finished. Mark Benavides sits alone, waiting for the jury to return. For all its hokum, the film has a wishful decency that does leave its mark. His attorney told the judge that Benavides and his legal team plan to appeal the charges. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'. The woman said Benavides kept trying to meet with her after that episode, but she was afraid. 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. Eddie Ray Routh was born on September 30, 1987, in Lancaster, Texas, to parents Raymond Routh (father) and Jodi Routh (mother) and has an older sister, Laura Blevins. Required fields are marked *. We keep your data private and share your data only with third parties that make this service possible. Prosecutors said rather than tack on more prison time for Benavides, who is eligible for parole in about 28 years, theyre more interested in making sure the clients he represented are receiving due justice for their cases. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. During the video interview, Benavides scoffed when officers told him they had been investigating allegations for a few years. He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege said. 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. Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. Its a very important function and a priority in our office, said District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales. 'It's an understatement to call it cheating if it's a criminal act,' Norton said. Its huge, prosecutor Meredith Chacon told KENS5. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. FLORESVILLE, Texas Closing arguments were set to begin Friday afternoon in the punishment phase of the trial for former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides. Frowned upon. So, I did.. Benavides has been found guilty of trading sex for legal services. Benavides did not speak to reporters Thursday and hasnt in recent court appearances, but he once told a KSAT-TV reporter that one of his accusers was upset that she received a 15-year sentence for killing a man and was making up lies about him. Frank Azar Net Worth, Wife, Age, Wikipedia, Salary, House, Wiki, Bio. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Please be fair. 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 will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Mark Benavides, DDS, PC. San Antonio lawyer Mark Benavides was shown in a police interrogation video played in a pre-trial hearing Thursday talking to a woman prosecutors identified as his wife and telling her she should destroy a certain DVD as detectives searched his house. Benavides was found guilty Tuesday on six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. 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