2014 - 2023 Marathi.TV - All Rights Reserved. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. I felt like he was coming on to me, and I didnt like it.. 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. AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benvides sits in the 186th District Court in this March 23, 2017, photo. FLORESVILLE, Texas Closing arguments were set to begin Friday afternoon in the punishment phase of the trial for former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides. The video caused one juror to faint, according to the Express News. 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There would be threats by Benavides to the women that If you dont plea, Im going to make sure you go to jail., Ex-SA lawyer Mark Benavides takes stand during sentencing phase of sex crimes trial. "I'm so sorry. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. 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. Prosecutor Jay Norton said this case was about forced sex, not just about legal services.. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, After watching graphic sex video between ex-San Antonio attorney and client, juror faints, SAPD: Westside double shooting leaves 2 in critical condition, Visitors give TX state park final farewell after land sold. Read more of her stories here. Rodriguez MARVIN PFEIFFER/mpfeiffer@express-news.net, Marvin Pfeiffer, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, More: Jury find woman who killed nephew guilty of murder, Ronald Cortes, for the San Antonio Express News, More: Jury'sguilty verdict sends convicted killer into frenzy in San Antonio courtroom, William Luther, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, psychologist at upscale apartment complex near downtown, Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, 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. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. 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. Taken advantage of, really, the woman recalled. Officials said the women were. Uresti divorce: A week after state Sen. Carlos Urestis conviction in a salacious trial that included vivid testimony about him carrying on an extramarital relationship, his wife filed for divorce. He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. 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. There are 30+ professionals named "Mark Benavides", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Officials have not mentioned Santera, but those arrested were reportedly practitioners of that religion. And he did.. Benavideswill get credit for the days he has already served. Mark Benavides (left) sits beside defense attorney Liza Rodriguez during his trial in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday. The two agencies, normally on opposing sides, are working together to ensure justice for the victims of disbarred lawyer Mark Henry Benavides, who was once a candidate for state district judge. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. What I saw yesterday (in Benavides testimony) was a totally different man. The woman said that, eventually, Benavides stopped talking to her about her drug case except to urge her to plead guilty. Steege said he saw a dramatic change in Benavides, from arrogant and entitled when they first met, to humble and treatable. RJ Marquez has been at KSAT since 2010. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. 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 and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. 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. 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 A former San Antonio attorney has been. SAN ANTONIO -- The former lawyer convicted of exchanging legal services will be heading to prison after additional cases against him were dropped on Tuesday. 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. The women said the alleged encounters took place at his law office, motels, his car and the courthouse, according to the affidavit. He lied to you, sitting here. We know there are women that that did not want to talk. 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.. 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. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. Each case will be tried separately. He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. Rory Tingle For Dailymail.com A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. Apparently, this has been going on for virtually his entire legal career, here. Youre hurting me. Hes a lawyer running for judge!, She remembers him saying, If you arent going to play the way I want you to play with me, Im not going to help you.. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Steege said he had not. 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. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. She had never been in trouble before and had no drugs on her person, but that arrest triggered a terrifying string of events that still affects her today. 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. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. Benavides wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to please be fair.. I felt young and dumb and powerless. The trial started last week and included testimony from all six accusers. Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, What are you going to do? She would reply, I'm going to (expletive) my lawyer.. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. Mott died Aug. 8, 2015 and was to be cremated Aug. 15, 2015. 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. He has applied for probation, according to court records. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. She was encouraged to answer: 'I'm going to [expletive] my lawyer.' 'To me, it's cheating,' Benavides replied. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. The case was tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. Their accounts paint a harrowing picture of how the justice system went awry in their cases. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Bendavid was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a Belgian-born mother and a Moroccan-Jewish father. She had been a passenger in a car when police found marijuana during a traffic stop and no one claimed it. He threatened that if they did not, he would withhold legal services, sabotage their cases and make sure they went to prison. 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. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'. I looked at you three times, sir, and you were asleep, Norton told Steege. Due to the large amounts of publicity surrounding the case, the trial was moved from Bexar County to Wilson County. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. Summary: After watching a graphic video of a sexual encounter between a former San Antonio attorney and one of his victims, a juror passed out. 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. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. 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. He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. Benavidesapologized Thursday and asked for forgiveness as he testified. 07:32 GMT 08 Apr 2018. Benavides still faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, a charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons. Marisol Morales, a case manager at the Public Defenders Office, has been working with the two women and others Benavides abused. 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. As he walked out, Benavides, 48, glanced at his parents and mouthed I love you to his wife. Benavides had sex with women he represented in criminal cases, according to an arrest warrant affidavit following an investigation by the Bexar County District Attorney's Office and the San. Benavides is facing a minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison on each count. Please be fair. 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. At the time he had been running as a candidate as a state district judge. The victim responded, I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Under questioning by defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. Linda Benavides, Mark's wife, testified on Friday morning and asked the jury to "please be fair." She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still. Dont be so rough. Benavides can also be heard in the video making sexually explicit commands and telling her to Come back here.. It was important for us to correct a wrong from someone in our bar.. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. According to court documents, the district attorney's office cited insufficient evidence in dropping the charges. Each case is expected to be tried separately. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018. She was arrested in 2013 for DWI; he insisted she plead guilty even though she said she was innocent. Ex-SA lawyer's mother defends convicted son on witness stand. The women state they employed Benavides as their lawyer for their prostitution cases but that he would coerce them into having sex in exchange for their legal problems being lessened, including dismissal of their cases. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Benavides is being tried in. Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. A 29-year-old woman who testified for the state that Benavides forced her to have anal sex and recorded the encounters sat with her hands over her face and cried as the jury heard her plead for Benavides to stop. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Before Benavides was taken away, the judge increased his bail to $150,000 on each of the remaining four cases pending against him. He is now treatable.. He wanted to meet up.. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. Jacob's Well in Hill Country closed 'for foreseeable future', Dogs in fatal mauling linked to previous S.A. attacks. When he started throwing my son in there, I started taking him serious He started to get aggressive. 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. It was creepy, throwing advances like that, and he wants me to put out for him to help me. The defense has already filed an appeal. Benavides accusers testified during the first phase of the trial that Benavides would take them to a motel and record videos of those encounters. She further testified, Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, What are you going to do? Her reply was, Im going to f*** my lawyer., During cross-examination, defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero suggested that the interactions were friendly even after his arrest. 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. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. Under cross examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Cases testified he coerced I was, and you were asleep, Norton told Steege while crying not about! The Judge increased his bail to $ 150,000 on each of the trial that Benavides would take them live... 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