(The Center Square) – The Houston Police Officer’s Union and lawmakers are calling out judges who continue to release some of the most violent offenders on bond, including cop killers, in Houston and Harris County, the largest city and county in Texas.
Although voters were able to remove some judges at the ballot box last November, violent crime continues to plague Houston and Harris County. A growing number of residents are again demanding the legislature implement bail reforms to protect citizens.
The latest outrage comes after 248th District Court Judge Hilary Unger declined a no-bond request by the former district attorney in a capital murder case in which a sheriff’s deputy was ambushed and killed. The defendant was released on a $1 million bond.
The alleged offender, with a criminal history, facing charges of capital murder and evidence tampering, was “an active participant in the cold-blooded ambush and execution of a law enforcement officer,” the Houston Police Officer’s Union said in a statement. Releasing the alleged cop killer was “not just a case of judicial incompetence – it is a disgraceful betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to every law-abiding citizen in Harris County,” the union said. “Investigators recovered 41 spent shell casings from the scene. If this case doesn’t warrant a no-bond decision, then what does?”
The union also notes that because of decisions solely made by a few judges, “since 2021, there have been 162 homicides in Harris County where the suspect was out on bond at the time of the murder. How many more lives must be lost before activist judges like Unger stop gambling with public safety?”
Of the numerous examples that exist, a few recent examples include 263rd District Court Judge Melissa Morris reducing a bond from $250,000 to $100,000 for a repeat offender who was previously out on multiple bonds for multiple felonies. After he made bail and was released, he was next charged with delivering fentanyl that allegedly caused the death of a 16-yaer-old Houston girl. He was again released on bond while also allegedly violating the conditions of his bond, FOX 26 News reported.
In another case, a former Harris County deputy who was charged with murder and released on a $200,000 bond was recently arrested for allegedly committing an additional five violent felonies, including family violence, aggravated assault of a family member, injury to a child and stalking. In his latest case, 183rd Judge Lance Long set bonds for the new felony charges, FOX 26 News reported.
In another case, 232nd District Court Judge Josh Hill reduced a murder suspect’s bond for capital murder from $500,000 to $35,000 after the defendant was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond on felony theft charges. Before he was arrested again on charges of robbery with bodily injury and tampering with an electronic monitor, there were four motions to revoke his bond, Fox 26 News reported.
The Houston station’s “Breaking Bond” series highlights violent offenders who are released on personal recognizance or low bonds who later go on to allegedly commit violent crimes.
The issue of judges releasing violent offenders represents “a broader, systemic failure that has turned Harris County into a national example of what happens when rogue judges put ideology over justice,” the union said. “The release of a capital murder suspect – especially one charged with killing a law enforcement officer – is a slap in the face to every deputy, police officer, and citizen who believes in the rule of law.”
Issues with crime and bail have existed for some time. In 2021, the state legislature passed a bipartisan bill, filed by state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law. Abbott, Huffman and others argued the bill would reform the bail process, reduce crime, and increase transparency and accountability of judges, The Center Square reported. Four years later, violent offenders are still being released, and crime has gone up, not down.
This legislative session, Huffman again filed a bail reform package, which the Texas Senate passed with bipartisan support, The Center Square reported.
The Texas Constitution currently guarantees a right to bail except for those who commit capital offenses and are convicted of multiple felonies. No punishment exists for judges who release repeat violent felons onto the streets on personal recognizance or low bonds.
Bail reform is a legislative priority of Abbott’s and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Patrick has said he met with House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and is hopeful the Texas House will pass bail reform.
