Prosecutors said Benavides traded sex for legal services. By Prosecutors proved that Benavides made women he was representing for alleged crimes, including DUI, minor drug offenses and prostitution, to have sex with him in exchange for legal services. 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. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. Linda Benavides testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of her husband, Mark Benavides, in Floresville. attorney mark benavides wife. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. More: S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. Read more of her stories here. Meredith Chacon prosecuting attorney in the Mark Benavides trial, talks to another attorney after a female juror fainted having just watched a sex tape of former San Antonio lawyer Benavides, in the Wilson County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Floresville, TX. She said Benavides flirted with her and offered to help her incarcerated son. 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.. According to court documents, the district attorney's office cited insufficient evidence in dropping the charges. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. 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. He said he would help me get my son back.. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. She agreed to tell her story on the condition that she not be . Animal sacrifice unveiled at San Antonio home: The punishment phase is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Wilson County District Court in Floresville. Boshoy Mina Elkhaliny, was arrested on Jan. 8, 2018 for allegedly beating, raping and holding Kaila Kutzik captive for days. The jury found Benavides guilty of all six counts and sentenced him to 80 years in prison. Julie Mott trail: A jury awarded Sharlotte and Timothy Mott $8 million on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 after they found Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries negligent in the loss of their daughters body. Steege said he had not. 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. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. RJ Marquez has been at KSAT since 2010. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. 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. 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. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. the woman, 29, cried on the video. Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. On ExpressNews.com: Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex. Mark A Benavides, born Circa 1971 Mark A Benavides was born circa 1971. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. Benavides admission of the DVDs' existencewas recorded at police headquarters in November 2015, when detectives interviewed him. Mark Benavides, a powerful Democrat who ran for the 186th District Court in 2014 during the Obama administration, was accused by federal law enforcement of trading his legal services as an attorney for sex with . Marisol Morales, a case manager at the Public Defenders Office, has been working with the two women and others Benavides abused. Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into . He attended Unionville High School and was subsequently accepted into National Theatre School of Canada, graduating in 2004.. Career. Jurors were shown a video recorded by one of Benavides alleged victims showing a violent sexual . 1.1 Mark R. Benavides lawyer profile in Plano, Texas - Law.net; 1.2 Wife of Mark Benavides testifies - Twitter; 1.3 'I thought I was alone' victims of disgraced - Alton Telegraph; 1.4 Prosecutors: "Pornographic" DVDs show former lawyer with 1.5 Lawyer cries as he is sentenced to 80 years - Express Digest Officials said the women were. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, the victims mother collapsed in the courtroom. Officials from the Bexar County District Attorneys Office and the Bexar County Public Defenders Office are urging potential sex crime victims of a disbarred San Antonio lawyer to speak up. One of the women, now 32, covered her eyes and stifled tears as she recounted her ordeal. 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. She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. This jury understood that.. Each case is expected to be tried separately. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. 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. Its worth life, ladies and gentlemen, Chacon said in her closing argument. She said she rejected his overtures. 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.. Before Benavides was taken away, the judge increased his bail to $150,000 on each of the remaining four cases pending against him. 'Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, 'What are you going to do?' The witness pointed out Benavides in court and also identified him in photographs by his tattoos Asian writings on the back of each forearm and a large image of the scales of justice down the center of his back. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. Dahlberg and Young want more of Benavides victims to come forward to have their cases reviewed. He wasnt playing around. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. This was someone within our legal community, Dahlberg said. Defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero said Benavides admitted he lost his moral compass, and although he deserves to be punished, she asked for mercy. Benavides told her she had to plead guilty to stay out of prison. Mark Benavides Mechanical Engineer at Consulting Engineering Services San Antonio, Texas, United States 233 followers 232 connections Join to connect Consulting Engineering Services (CES) Texas. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. This is a carousel. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. And he did.. 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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. 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. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. He will serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. 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. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. 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Before the state and defense rested their cases, Linda Benavides told the jury Friday morning that although he was unfaithful, she didnt leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. The 48-year-old, who has since been disbarred, was first arrested in November 2015 accused of using force or coercing at least nine female clients into prostitution. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex, Man dies following hit-and-run on San Antonio's Westside, Canyon Lake animal shelter faces claims of neglect, abuse. Officials have not mentioned Santera, but those arrested were reportedly practitioners of that religion. }] Former attorney Mark Benavides enters the courtroom of Judge Dick Alcala on Friday during the punishment phase of his trial in Floresville. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex - San Antonio Express-News. Under cross examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. Mark Henry Benavides will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. But hes a good person. 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.. Alison Dahlberg, director of the DAs Conviction Integrity Unit, has worked with Michael Young, chief defender for the Bexar County Public Defenders Office, to identify potentially hundreds of victims of Benavides and re-evaluate their criminal cases. Benavides took the stand Thursday during the punishment phase of the trial. Benavidesapologized Thursday and asked for forgiveness as he testified. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. Bendavid was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a Belgian-born mother and a Moroccan-Jewish father. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, the victims mother collapsed in the courtroom. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. Texas ranch that's half the size of Rhode Island still S.A. developer buys hotel property near Market Square, UTSA, TaskUs swings to profit as it continues growing globally, Murder charge dropped in S.A. toddlers drive-by death, Strong storms ahead of cold front to bring severe weather risk, As avian flu endures, Texas farmers try to protect flocks. 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. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. 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. Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio attorney, is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for his legal services Prosecutors in a Texas court played footage of Benavides forcing. RELATED:Expert: Guilty ex-S.A. attorney displayed arousal to violent sex. I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news, she said. Mark married Crystal A Valdez on month day 2009, at age 28 at marriage place, Texas. He wouldnt help me for anything, she said. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. Things changed the day she had a court appearance on her drug charge. Many of the acts were recorded, and now, upon further review of the case, prosecutors said they found more victims in need of justice. But the experience left her deeply scarred. Linda Benavides, who is the wife of Mark Benavides, receives his belt and necktie Friday from a sheriffs deputy after he was sentenced to 80 years as punishment after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons. Her conviction has been overturned based on his ineffectual counsel. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. 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. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. In halting sobs, Benavidesapologized and asked for forgiveness as he testified. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. Your email address will not be published. Someof the graphic and sexually explicit videos were played for jurors. The trial against former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides began Tuesday with a graphic start. Texas Democrat, Attorney Mark Benavides, has been found guilty on six counts of sex trafficking and torture by a judge in San Antonio. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018. Benavides is being tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County because of intense media coverage. She said they would go to a motel in San Antonio, where he told her what to do sexually while recording the encounter. He faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault and two charges of continuous trafficking of persons, according to court records. A Wilson County jury found Benavides guilty on Tuesday. I looked at you three times, sir, and you were asleep, Norton told Steege. This is human trafficking, Chacon said. juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. To learn more about the case against Benavides, read these articles: Lawyers from various law firms, including MotleyRice, Morgan & Morgan, and Cory Watson, are flocking, Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh took the stand on Thursday to deny murdering his wife and, J. Michael Connolly is set to debut his argument in the US Supreme Court in, {"duration": "400ms","fill": "both","iterations": "1","direction": "alternate","animations": [{"selector": "#scrollToTopButton","keyframes": [{"opacity": "1","visibility": "visible" The case was tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court.
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