We had 23 lawyers complete 12 trials this week at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. The results – 7 Guilty Verdicts, 3 Not Guilty Verdicts, 0 In-Trial Dismissals, 1 In-Trial Plea and 3 Hung Jury/Mistrials.
Congratulations to the trial winners and to the 25 Lawyers below who won their case with a dismissal of charges!
Congratulations to Prosecutor Heather Axline for earning Guilty Verdicts for the State of Texas.
Intoxicated Manslaughter with a Vehicle
Sentence: To Be Determined
(judge Caroline Dozier presiding – 228th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1894438 – 1894439) co-counsel Whitney Rasberry
Congratulations to Prosecutor Whitney Rasberry for earning Guilty Verdicts for the State of Texas.
Intoxicated Manslaughter with a Vehicle
Sentence: To Be Determined
(judge Caroline Dozier presiding – 228th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1894438 – 1894439) co-counsel Heather Axline
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Eddie Cortes Jr. for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
(judge Lori Chambers Gray presiding – 262nd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Number 1948134) co-counsel Lara Autrey
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Lara Autrey for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
(judge Lori Chambers Gray presiding – 262nd Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Number 1948134) co-counsel Eddie Cortes
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Ruben Restrepo Jr. for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
Aggravated Assault – Serious Bodily Injury
(judge Hilary Unger presiding – 248th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Number 1903402) co-counsel Louis Latimer
Congratulations to Defense Attorney Louis Latimer for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
Aggravated Assault – Serious Bodily Injury
(judge Hilary Unger presiding – 248th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause Number 1903402) co-counsel Ruben Restrepo Jr.
Congratulations to Prosecutor Peter Uli for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Violation of a Protective Order
Sentence: 18 Months Probation
(judge Linda Garcia presiding – CCL16 – jury trial – Cause #2587832)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Selah Lile for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
DWI >.15
Sentence: 30 Days in Jail
(judge Andrew Wright presiding – CCL7 – jury trial – Cause #2603229)
Congratulations to the Defense Attorney Chris McKinney for earning a Not Guilty Verdict for your client.
DWI
(judge Toria Finch presiding – CCL9 – jury trial – Cause Number 2597897)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Khamisie Green for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Theft $750 – $2500
Sentence: 18 Months Probation and 15 Days in Jail as a condition
(judge Juanita Jackson presiding – CCL10 – jury trial – Cause #2584671)
Congratulations to Prosecutor Farwah Naqvi for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
DWI
Sentence: 30 Days in Jail
(visiting judge Robin Brown presiding – CCL12 – court trial – Cause #2604016) co-counsel Victoria Davila
Congratulations to Prosecutor Victoria Davila for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
DWI
Sentence: 30 Days in Jail
(visiting judge Robin Brown presiding – CCL12 – court trial – Cause #2604016) co-counsel Farwah Naqvi
Congratulations to Prosecutor Missy Hoffman for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(judge Emily Detoto presiding – 177th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1842630) co-counsel Swati Kundra
Congratulations to Prosecutor Swati Kundra for earning a Guilty Verdict for the State of Texas.
Murder
Sentence: 30 Years in Prison
(judge Emily Detoto presiding – 177th Criminal District Court – jury trial – Cause #1842630) co-counsel Missy Hoffman
Congratulations to Prosecutor Storrey Slaughter for earning an In-Trial Plea for the State of Texas.
DWI >.15
Sentence: 3 Days in Jail
(judge Erika Ramirez presiding – CCL8 – jury trial – Cause Number 2587659)
Show Me The Justice acknowledges the hard work and dedication from Prosecutors Elsa Sulejman and Marie Defretin and Defense Attorneys Chabli Alexander and Equator Turner in Cause Number 1839145 out of the 180th Criminal District Court which resulted in a Hung Jury for the offense of
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
(visiting judge Lisa Burkhalter presiding – jury trial)
Show Me The Justice acknowledges the hard work and dedication from Prosecutors Darian Hannah and Kaylee Veltri and Defense Attorneys Julio Vela and Gianpaolo Macerola in Cause Number 1891926 out of the 180th Criminal District Court which resulted in a Hung Jury for the offense of
Sexual Assault
(judge Tami Pierce presiding – jury trial)
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%.
Show Me The Justice congratulates Defense Attorney Jackie Carpenter for earning 9 “Not Guilty” Verdicts since 2017
Jackie is tied for NUMBER 22 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 and should not be relied upon as authoritative information.
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Ralph Martinez for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1897684 out of the 177th Criminal District Court for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Allison Mathis for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1945686 out of the 182nd Criminal District Court for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Rick Detoto for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1930029 out of the 182nd Criminal District Court for the offense of
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT with a Deadly Weapon
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jon Jaworski for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1912590 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of
POSSESSION with Intent to Deliver Drugs
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Carolyn Okorafor for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2570834 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 6 for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jill Hawkins for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2581102 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 11 for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jacob Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2573637 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 6 for the offense of
ASSAULT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jill Hawkins for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2551680 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 10 for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney James Pailin for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2577716 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 10 for the offense of
TERRORISTIC THREAT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Grant Scheiner for earning a non trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1964133 out of the 263rd Criminal District Court for the offense of
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jacob Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2613788 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 2 for the offense of
EVADING ARREST
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Whitney Moore for earning trial setting dismissals for your client in Cause Numbers 1930880 – 1930881 out of the 185th Criminal District Court for the offense of
OFFICIAL OPPRESSION
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Alyssa Craze Awbrey for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2605207 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 15 for the offense of
ASSAULT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Samuel Gardner for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1948689 out of the 176th Criminal District Court for the offense of
EVADING ARREST with a Vehicle
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Michael Pham for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1936526 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Julio Vela for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1935623 out of the 184th Criminal District Court for the offense of
INJURY to a Child
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Jose Ceja for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2579498 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 11 for the offense of
ASSAULT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Ed Chernoff for earning a non trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1918161 out of the 351st Criminal District Court for the offense of
MURDER
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Christopher Sharkey for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 2576283 out of Criminal Court at Law Number 12 for the offense of
TERRORISTIC THREAT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Mike Trent for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1926653 out of the 209th Criminal District Court for the offense of
POSSESSION of Child Pornography
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Joseph Gagliardi for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1891069 out of the 232nd Criminal District Court for the offense of
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT with a Deadly Weapon
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Eddie Cortes Jr. for earning a non trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1940854 out of the 486th Criminal District Court for the offense of
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Stephen Touchstone for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1935716 out of the 180th Criminal District Court for the offense of
FELON in Possession of a Weapon
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Diana Sims for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1935092 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the criminal offense of
ASSAULT Family Member
Show Me The Justice recognizes Defense Attorney Hannah Frank for earning a trial setting dismissal for your client in Cause Number 1952119 out of the 228th Criminal District Court for the offense of
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT Family Member
PROSECUTOR LEADER BOARD 2026
Leading Prosecutors for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts for 2026
DEFENSE LEADER BOARD 2026
Leading Defense Attorneys for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts for 2026
FELONY JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
All Elected Felony Judges and their trial totals for 2026
MISDEMEANOR JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
All Elected Misdemeanor Judges and their trial totals for 2026
VISITING JUDGE LEADER BOARD 2026
Visiting Judges and their trial totals for 2026
PROSECUTOR LEADER BOARD – Last 9 Years
Leading Prosecutors for Winning Felony and Misdemeanor Verdicts since February 2017 Note: Prosecutors listed may no longer be working at the District Attorney’s Office
COURT DOCKET EFFICIENCY – MISDEMEANORS
Top 10 Misdemeanor Courts (out of 16 courts) for LOWEST docket totals through June 2026 (non pretrial intervention cases) – source: Harris County Courts Active Cases Report
COURT DOCKET EFFICIENCY – FELONIES
Top 10 Felony Courts (out of 29 courts) for LOWEST docket totals through June 2026 – source: Harris County District Criminal District Courts Dashboard
JURY TRIAL SENTENCES for MURDER CHARGES IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Note: The following murder sentencing statistics were derived from my “ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017” spreadsheet which included ALL the murder trials since 2017. I looked up each case number on the District Clerk’s website and entered the sentence onto the below downloadable spreadsheet. I gave a score of 100 years for a life sentence and 0 for probation. Statistics good from February 1, 2017 through June 14, 2026.
JURY TRIAL SENTENCES for CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF A CHILD CHARGES IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Note: The following continuous sexual abuse of a child sentencing statistics were derived from my “ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017” spreadsheet which included ALL the continuous sexual abuse of a child trials since 2017. I looked up each case number on the District Clerk’s website and entered the sentence onto the below spreadsheet. I gave a score of 100 years for a life sentence and 0 for probation. Statistics good from February 1, 2017 through June 14, 2026.
JURY TRIAL SENTENCES for ALL OTHER CHILD SEX CASES IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Note: The following child sex case sentencing statistics were derived from my “ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017” spreadsheet which included ALL the child sex case trials since 2017. I looked up each case number on the District Clerk’s website and entered the sentence onto the below spreadsheet. I gave a score of 100 years for a life sentence and 0 for probation. Statistics good from February 1, 2017 through June 14, 2026.
JURY TRIAL VERDICTS FOR ASSORTED CASES IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Note: The following jury trial verdicts were derived from my “ALL LAWYERS VERDICTS SINCE 2017” spreadsheet which included ALL the trials since 2017. Statistics good from February 1, 2017 through June 14, 2026.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE RETAINED BUSINESS AT THE HARRIS COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE?
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
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)