TRIAL WINNERS WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 23, 2026
Prosecutors Abeer Farid, Jonathan Hardegree, Steve Walsh, Panos Melisaris, Michael Abner, Missy Hoffman, Cailley Vaughan, William Connally, Marie Defretin, Ethan Smith. Walter Hill, Ryan Maun, Brianna Perry, Mary Ricker
Defense Attorneys John Paul Cedillo, Malachi Ledbetter, Dustan Neyland
Congratulations on a job well done!
This week’s Harris County criminal jury trial results include guilty verdicts, not guilty verdicts, and other trial outcomes from courts throughout the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. ShowMeTheJustice.com updates these trial results weekly as part of its ongoing coverage of criminal justice in Houston, Texas.
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Dustan Neyland for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
Indecency with a Child
(judge Lance Long presiding – 183rd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Number 1938028)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Walter Hill for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Evading Arrest with a Vehicle
Sentence: 55 Years in Prison
(judge Hilary Unger presiding – 248th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1958511)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Marie Defretin for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(visiting judge Kaycee Jones presiding – 232nd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1636937) co-counsel Ethan Smith
Congratulations to Prosecutor Ethan Smith for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(visiting judge Kaycee Jones presiding – 232nd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1636937) co-counsel Marie Defretin
Congratulations to Prosecutor Cailley Vaughan for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
DWI 2nd
Sentence: 60 Days in Jail
(judge Raul Rodriguez presiding – CCL13 – jury trial – Cause #2593772) co-counsel William Connally
Congratulations to Prosecutor William Connally for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
DWI 2nd
Sentence: 60 Days in Jail
(judge Raul Rodriguez presiding – CCL13 – jury trial – Cause #2593772) co-counsel Cailley Vaughan
Congratulations to Prosecutor Michael Abner for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 40 Years in Prison
(judge Emily Detoto presiding – 177th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1690367) co-counsel Missy Hoffman
Congratulations to Prosecutor Missy Hoffman for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 40 Years in Prison
(judge Emily Detoto presiding – 177th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1690367) co-counsel Michael Abner
Congratulations to Prosecutor Steve Walsh for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 99 Years in Prison
(judge Dan Simons presiding – 496th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1872052) co-counsel Panos Melisaris
Congratulations to Prosecutor Panos Melisaris for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 99 Years in Prison
(judge Dan Simons presiding – 496th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1872052) co-counsel Steve Walsh
Congratulations to Prosecutor Abeer Farid for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(judge Beverly Armstrong presiding – 208th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1892768) co-counsel Jonathan Hardegree
Congratulations to Prosecutor Jonathan Hardegree for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(judge Beverly Armstrong presiding – 208th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1892768) co-counsel Abeer Farid
Congratulations to Prosecutor Ryan Maun for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Unlawful Restraint
Sentence: 1 Year in Jail
(judge Danny Lacayo presiding – 182nd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1940070)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Brianna Perry for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Indecent Assault
Sentence: 18 Months Probation
(judge Toria Finch presiding – CCL9 – jury trial – Cause #2609227) co-counsel Mary Ricker
Congratulations to Prosecutor Mary Ricker for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Indecent Assault
Sentence: 18 Months Probation
(judge Toria Finch presiding – CCL9 – jury trial – Cause #2609227) co-counsel Brianna Perry
Congratulations to Defense Attorney John Paul Cedillo for earning an In-Trial Dismissal for your client (after a successful Motion to Suppress Evidence Hearing).
DWI
(judge Tonya Jones presiding – CCL15 – jury trial – Cause Number 2610398) co-counsel Malachi Ledbetter
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Malachi Ledbetter for earning an In-Trial Dismissal for your client (after a successful Motion to Suppress Evidence Hearing).
DWI
(judge Tonya Jones presiding – CCL15 – jury trial – Cause Number 2610398) co-counsel John Paul Cedillo
Show Me The Justice acknowledges the hard work and dedication from Prosecutors Steven Harris and Alex Yarrow and Defense Attorney Kyle Sampson in Cause Number 1836581 out of the 338th Criminal District Court which resulted in a Hung Jury for the offense of
Murder
(judge Michele Oncken – jury trial) ABC13NEWS
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Craig Hughes for earning Not Guilty Verdicts for your client in Brazoria County.
Aggravated Robbery and Possession of a Controlled Substance
(BRAZORIA COUNTY judge Jessica Pulcher presiding – 149th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Numbers 103004-CR, 103659-CR, 103660-CR)
ShowMeTheJustice.com is the leading independent source for Harris County criminal trial statistics, jury verdicts, attorney leaderboards, judicial activity, trial-setting dismissals, sentencing data, and courthouse news. Our database tracks thousands of criminal jury trials and continues to grow with weekly updates from the Harris County Criminal Courthouse.
Note: This scoreboard may not be 100% accurate as I could have missed some mistrials that occurred at the early stages of the trial or a quick court trial that lasted a couple of hours….. but it is close to 100%.
ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017
Search and compare Harris County criminal trial results for prosecutors and defense attorneys from 2017 to the present. This easy-to-read spreadsheet tracks guilty and not guilty verdicts from Harris County criminal courts and allows users to quickly review individual attorney trial records and courtroom results. Find prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers by name and compare their reported jury and judge trial outcomes compiled by ShowMeTheJustice.com.
ALL CRIMINAL JUDGES TRIALS SINCE 2019
Search Harris County felony and misdemeanor criminal court trial and verdict results by judge from 2019 to the present. This easy-to-read spreadsheet tracks guilty and not guilty verdicts in criminal cases and allows users to compare trial outcomes before individual Harris County criminal court judges. Search judges by name and review their reported jury and judge trial results compiled by ShowMeTheJustice.com.
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Jonathan Vela for earning 14 “Not Guilty” Verdicts since 2017
Jonathan is NUMBER 8 on the “Rosster” of TRIAL LAWYERS WITH THE MOST WINS SINCE 2017
Leading Defense Attorneys for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts since February 2017 – OVER 2,000 PRACTICING DEFENSE ATTORNEYS at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse (stats taken from above spreadsheet)
Note: The following spreadsheets, standings, charts, graphs and compilations may NOT be 100% accurate.
WEEKLY HARRIS COUNTY TRIAL SETTING DISMISSALS
ShowMeTheJustice.com recognizes the following Harris County criminal defense attorneys who obtained trial-setting dismissals this week. A trial-setting dismissal occurs when a criminal case is dismissed before jury selection, often after negotiations, further investigation, or other developments leading to dismissal of the charges.
This week’s GOLD STAR winning lawyers are: Ana Funes Baker, Murray Newman
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Zakiya Carter for earning a trial setting dismissal
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
209th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1929234
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Murray Newman for earning a trial setting dismissal
Indecency with a Child
230th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1928765
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Mario Santos for earning a trial setting dismissal
Deadly Conduct
Criminal Court at Law Number 16 – Cause Number 2630382
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Lucio Montes for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
178th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1947629
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Chris Henderson for earning a trial setting dismissal
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity
182nd Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1896207
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Ana Funes Baker for earning a trial setting dismissal
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
228th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1894260
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Mitchell Leonard for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault
Criminal Court at Law Number 16 – Cause Number 2619275
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Brad Walters for earning a trial setting dismissal
DWI
Criminal Court at Law Number 3 – Cause Number 2620235
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Wilvin Carter for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault on a Pregnant Person
248th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1935871
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Troy Locklear for earning a trial setting dismissal
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
174th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1945902
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney David Paz for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault
Criminal Court at Law Number 3 – Cause Number 2608641
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney George Graves IV for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
Criminal Court at Law Number 9 – Cause Number 2615840
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Robert Valles Jr. for earning a trial setting dismissal
Interfering with the Duties of a Public Servant
Criminal Court at Law Number 9 – Cause Number 2619303
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Daniel Chism for earning a trial setting dismissal
DWI >.15
Criminal Court at Law Number 15 – Cause Number 2612743
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Brian Coyne for earning a trial setting dismissal
Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
176th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1903176
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Shannon Davis for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
Criminal Court at Law Number 1 – Cause Number 2629724
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Jed Silverman for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault
Criminal Court at Law Number 4 – Cause Number 2584675
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Bianca Almaguer for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
Criminal Court at Law Number 5 – Cause Number 2589209
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Martin Flores for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
Criminal Court at Law Number 5 – Cause Number 2609724
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Colin Morrison for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
Criminal Court at Law Number 6 – Cause Number 2598190
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Franklin Bynum for earning a trial setting dismissal
DWI >.15
Criminal Court at Law Number 10 – Cause Number 2350884
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Rahan Atia for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
177th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1941279
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Scott Bernstein for earning a trial setting dismissal
Driving While License Suspended
Criminal Court at Law Number 9 – Cause Number 2619287
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Vladimir Gray for earning a trial setting dismissal
Assault Family Member
178th Criminal District Court – Cause Number 1947252
ShowMeTheJustice.com provides weekly coverage of Harris County Criminal Courts, including jury trials, trial-setting dismissals, attorney leaderboards, courtroom statistics, judicial activity, and criminal justice trends.
PROSECUTOR LEADER BOARD 2026
Leading Prosecutors for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts for 2026
October 23, 2026 – The race for the top spot continues! Congratulations to Harris County prosecutor Mikeala Morris for taking the lead at 10 guilty verdicts. Close behind are Traemon Anderson and Samantha Barnhart with 9 guilty verdicts. Prosecutors with 8 guilty verdicts are Abeer Farid, Peter Uli and Nidia Ventura. Rankings are updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com, featuring Harris County criminal trials in progress, criminal trial statistics, attorney leaderboards, verdicts, and courtroom news.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courthouse news, and comprehensive courtroom analytics.
DEFENSE LEADER BOARD 2026
Leading Defense Attorneys for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts for 2026
October 23, 2026 – The competition among Harris County’s top criminal defense attorneys continues to intensify. Arienna Toh currently leads the field with 5 not guilty verdicts victories in 2026. Close behind is Brennen Dunn with 4 not guilty verdicts and Jordan Schuck, Coby Dubose, Brianne Boiarsky, Alyssa Craze-Awbrey, Tyler Flood, Alli Cannon, Paul Morgan, and Duncan Isaac, each with 3 not guilty verdicts. The remaining attorneys on the leaderboard have each earned 2 jury trial victories, reflecting the depth of trial talent in the Harris County criminal courthouse. Rankings are updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com based on publicly available jury trial verdicts.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courthouse news, and comprehensive courtroom analytics.
FELONY JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
All Elected Felony Judges and their trial totals for 2026
October 23, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Felony Trial Leaderboard – Jury trial activity remains strong throughout the Harris County felony courts. Judge Dan Simons has presided over more criminal jury trials than any other felony judge in 2026, with 29 trials completed. Judge Peyton Peebles has 17 trials, Judge Veronica Nelson, Judge Stacy Allen Barrow and Judge Beverly Armstrong have 14 trials each. The remaining judges on this leaderboard continue to maintain active criminal trial dockets, demonstrating the significant volume of felony jury trials occurring throughout the Harris County courthouse.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial statistics, felony and misdemeanor judge leaderboards, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.
MISDEMEANOR JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
All Elected Misdemeanor Judges and their trial totals for 2026
October 23, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Trial Activity – Jury trial activity remains robust in the Harris County misdemeanor courts. Judge Andrew Wright has presided over more misdemeanor criminal jury trials than any other county criminal court judge in 2026, with 23 trials completed. Judge Erika Ramirez follows with 17 trials, while Judge Linda Garcia has 16 trials. The remaining judges on this leaderboard continue to maintain active misdemeanor trial dockets as they move criminal cases through the Harris County justice system.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial results, misdemeanor and felony judge leaderboards, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict statistics, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.
VISITING JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
Visiting Judges and their trial totals for 2026
October 23, 2026 – 2026 Harris County Visiting Judge Trial Activity – Visiting judges remain an essential part of the Harris County criminal justice system, presiding over numerous jury trials throughout the year. Judge Lisa Burkhalter leads the pack with 13 trials and Judge Vanessa Velasquez (who is now the appointed judge of the 486th Criminal District Court) and Judge Marc Brown have presided over 10 trials. Their service helps ensure that criminal cases continue moving efficiently through one of the nation’s busiest court systems.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for the latest Harris County criminal jury trial results, felony and misdemeanor judge leaderboards, visiting judge statistics, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, court dockets, and daily courthouse action.
PROSECUTOR LEADER BOARD – Last 9 Years
Harris County Career Prosecutor Leaderboard for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts since February 2017 Note: Prosecutors listed may no longer be working at the District Attorney’s Office
October 23, 2026 – Harris County Prosecutor Career Leaderboard – Since February 2017, hundreds of prosecutors have tried criminal jury cases in the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. Danielle Oxford currently holds the top position with 45 guilty verdicts, followed by Heather Axline with 34 guilty verdicts and Abraham Chopin with 30 guilty verdicts, while several other prosecutors continue to build impressive trial records. This leaderboard reflects sustained jury trial experience over nearly a decade and is updated regularly by ShowMeTheJustice.com.
These standings reflect the total number of guilty jury verdicts recorded for each prosecutor during the tracking period. They are intended as historical statistical information and do not measure conviction rates, overall case performance, or prosecutorial effectiveness.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courtroom news, and comprehensive criminal courthouse analytics.
2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Docket Report
Top 10 Misdemeanor Courts (out of 16 courts) for LOWEST docket totals through September 2026 (non pretrial intervention cases) – source: Harris County Courts Active Cases Report
September 2026 – 2026 Harris County Misdemeanor Docket Report – Pending criminal caseloads vary considerably among the County Criminal Courts at Law. Judge Jessica Padilla currently maintains the smallest pending misdemeanor docket with 838 active cases, while the largest misdemeanor docket contains 1,479 pending cases. Differences in docket size may result from numerous factors, including case assignments, filing volume, court scheduling, transfers, and the timing of case dispositions. These rankings provide a current snapshot of pending misdemeanor caseloads across the Harris County criminal courts through July.
Key Takeaways
- Jessica Padilla (CCL14) has the smallest pending misdemeanor docket with 838 active cases.
- Leslie Johnson (CCL3), Linda Garcia (CCL16), and Paula Goodhart (CCL2) also have fewer than 1,000 pending cases.
- The largest pending misdemeanor docket currently contains 1,479 active criminal cases.
- Docket sizes fluctuate throughout the year as new cases are filed and existing cases are resolved.
- Rankings are updated regularly using publicly available Harris County court records.
Note: Pending case totals represent a snapshot of each court’s active criminal docket on the date indicated. Docket size alone should not be interpreted as a measure of judicial performance or courtroom efficiency, as caseloads are influenced by factors such as new filings, case complexity, transfers, specialty court assignments, staffing, and the timing of case dispositions.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal court statistics, misdemeanor and felony docket reports, judge leaderboards, jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney rankings, verdict trends, and daily courthouse action.
2026 Harris County Felony Caseload Report
Top 10 Felony Courts (out of 29 courts) for LOWEST docket totals through September 2026 – source: Harris County District Criminal District Courts Dashboard
September 2026 – The 2026 Harris County Felony Docket Leaderboard ranks the Criminal District Courts by the number of active pending felony cases – through August. As of this update, Judge Matt Peneguy maintains the lowest pending felony caseload, followed by Judge Nata Cornelio, Judge Veronica Nelson and Judge Vanessa Velasquez. Felony docket totals fluctuate throughout the year as new indictments are filed, cases are transferred, trials conclude, pleas are entered, and other matters are resolved. These rankings are updated regularly using publicly available Harris County court statistics.
Key Highlights
- Matt Peneguy (488th District Court) currently has the lowest pending felony docket with 193 active cases.
- Nata Cornelio (351st), Veronica Nelson (482nd) and Vanessa Velasquez (486th) round out the top four lowest felony dockets.
- The largest felony docket currently contains 995 pending cases.
- Pending felony caseloads change regularly as cases are filed, transferred, disposed of, or set for trial.
- Rankings are updated periodically using publicly available Harris County court records.
Note: Pending felony case totals represent a snapshot of each court’s active docket on the date shown. Docket size alone should not be interpreted as a measure of judicial performance or efficiency. Caseloads are influenced by numerous factors, including new felony filings, case complexity, court assignments, transfers, staffing, and the timing of case dispositions.
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for Harris County criminal jury trial results, prosecutor and defense attorney leaderboards, judge statistics, verdict trends, courtroom news, and comprehensive criminal courthouse analytics.
HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT STATISTICS — SEE THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE VERDICTS
Think you know what happens inside the Harris County Criminal Courthouse? The actual numbers may surprise you.
- What percentage of murder trials end in NOT GUILTY verdicts?
- What is the average sentence for a murder conviction?
- Which offense receives higher sentences – murder or child sex cases?
- Which criminal charges give the defense the best chance of winning at trial?
- How do verdict rates compare in murder, DWI, assault, robbery and child sex cases?
- How much of the courthouse caseload is handled by hired lawyers, appointed attorneys and public defenders?
EXPLORE THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE BY THE NUMBERS →
Verdicts • Sentences • Judges • Prosecutors • Defense Attorneys • Trial Trends
CHECK OUT THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE STATISTICS HERE!
WHO ARE THE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY MISDEMEANOR AND FELONY JUDGE POSITIONS FOR 2026? Check out the list below!
Information found on the Harris County Democratic and Republican parties websites
FOR EXCITING LIVE VIDEOS OF HOUSTON CRIME IN PROGRESS VISIT GRIZZY’S HOOD NEWS AT GRIZZYSHOODNEWS.COM
HARRIS COUNTY FELONY COURTS DASHBOARD
HARRIS COUNTY MISDEMEANOR COURTS DASHBOARD
DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE DASHBOARD
OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION
HARRIS COUNTY COURTS FACEBOOK PAGE
HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FACEBOOK PAGE
THEFT BY CHECK AND ISSUANCE OF A BAD CHECK TRIAL MANUAL
Great tips from the Harris County Court Reporters – click here!
I interviewed 12 experienced court reporters working the Harris County Criminal Courts and got their “inside information” on how jurors, lawyers and witnesses could improve in trial to make it easier for the court reporter to take down ALL the information required of them for a good record. THESE ARE SOME GREAT TIPS! (Interviews took place in 2019)
Visit ShowMeTheJustice.com for daily Harris County criminal trial results, attorney rankings, verdict statistics, judge leaderboards, and the latest courthouse action.