mark benavides wife
Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Women who employed him as their lawyer in prostitution cases told police that Benavides coerced them into having sex to help lessen their legal problems or to get their cases dismissed, an arrest warrant affidavit filed before the original indictments states. At the time of Mark's court proceedings, Linda requested the jury to "please be fair as his kids love him so much." Don't be so rough, as Benavides made sexually explicit commands and repeatedly told her, Come back here, as the woman sobbed. When she asked why he was filming, he said it was just for him, she told the court. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. But I was thinking of freedom for my son, freedom for me. Its not something thats far in the past, Morales said. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides was convicted. Lleanna Uresti cited adultery among the reasons for seeking to end the couples nearly six-year union, according to the petition filed March 2, 2018. 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 Henry Benavides will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. 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. 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. He lied to you, sitting here. 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. 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 sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into . 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. Former clients who were victimized by him are asked to call Morales at 210-335-0701. 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. 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.. They are urging other victims to come forward to keep him in prison for good. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. 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 . I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. Linda Benavides testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of her husband, Mark Benavides, in Floresville. Michelle Fair Hilliker, seated at center, consoles a victim testifying in the Mark Benavides trial. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. But he's a good person. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. iago physical appearance; renaissance musical instruments for sale; sarah marie johnson today; subaru temperature light flashing red and blue; how to use rear camera on face scan 2k22; philadelphia cheesecake crumble recipe; . Benavides still faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, a charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons. Their testimony established a pattern Benavides would pick them up from their homes or from jail, then take them to a hotel or a meeting room behind the courtroom to have sex. The juror was replaced by an alternate. Its the reason she agreed to speak out about what happened, despite her continuing fear of Benavides. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. 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. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. She hired attorney Mark Benavides, who she said began demanding sex, threatening that if she didn't "play with him" he would ensure she and her son, who had an unrelated case in another court, would be send to prison. The woman who had been charged with drug possession encouraged victims to make that call. RJ Marquez has been at KSAT since 2010. Do you think the charges should be lumped into one trial? We are asking you for 25 years, she said. This jury understood that.. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. This jury understood that., RELATED: S.A. company responds after woman finds 'teeth' in barbacoa. Several of clients claimed that Benavides promised them he'd help them, and even get the cases thrown out altogether if they slept with him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Benavides forced six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases to have sex with him in return for legal help. Mark is married to his wife, Linda Benavides, and they have two kids together. She was arrested in 2013 for DWI; he insisted she plead guilty even though she said she was innocent. When he started throwing my son in there, I started taking him serious He started to get aggressive. 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. Calling him a master manipulator and liar, prosecutors had asked the jury to send Benavides to life in prison for having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Mark Benavides is currently serving an 80-year prison term after he was convicted in 2018 of trading sex for legal services from women he was representing. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Under questioning by defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. This is a carousel. Both sides rested their cases and are expected to begin closing arguments this afternoon. The father-of-two was convicted on all six counts he faced of continuous trafficking of persons and the panel took six hours to decide his sentences. Jury deliberations begin in Mark Benavides trial. Under direct questioning by prosecutor Meredith Chacon, the woman told the jury she had sex with Benavides the day he became her court-appointed attorney around July 2014, for her bond. Heres what you need to know. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. Shes pleased that the conviction is now off her record, thanks to the DAs and public defenders offices. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. 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. He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. Prosecutor Meredith Chacon said although the state wanted for the judge to stack the sentences and have them run one right after the other, they decided to withdraw that motion at this time. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. He would tell her what to do and what sexual positions he wanted her in, using a handheld video recorder to film the acts from start to finish. 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Reyes survived for two weeks before being pronounced dead. Mark A. Cantu, III v. Commission for Lawyer Discipline . Someof the graphic and sexually explicit videos were played for jurors. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. 14:01 GMT 07 Apr 2018 It dragged on for nearly four years. }] Continue with Recommended Cookies. On ExpressNews.com: Four pending sex cases against convicted ex-San Antonio attorney dismissed. She was granted probation and successfully completed it. He will serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. Please be fair. Cruz, Abbott and others react to Castro's cancer diagnosis, Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, undergoes surgery, San Antonio's first car elevator is ready to start accepting cars, Buc-ees planning new travel centers in Wisconsin, Florida. Early life. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Linda Benavides said that although he was unfaithful, she didn't leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. Benavides gave her his card. 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. He is now treatable.. 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. Benavides was convicted of having sex with female clients in exchange for his legal services. Mark married Olivia Perez on month day 2001, at age 30 at marriage place, Texas. He lied to you, sitting here. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. Defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero said Benavides admitted he lost his moral compass, and although he deserves to be punished, she asked for mercy. 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. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. 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. 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. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. | 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. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. Officials said the women were. In April 2016, a jury indicted the San Antonio-based lawyer on multiple counts of sexual assault and compelling prostitution. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. 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. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, the victims mother collapsed in the courtroom. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. Each case is expected to be tried separately. Jacob's Well in Hill Country closed 'for foreseeable future', Dogs in fatal mauling linked to previous S.A. attacks. A 32-year-old woman victimized by a San Antonio attorney said she was 20 when she was arrested on a marijuana possession charge as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . Several additional indictments have been added since. While the video played, the victim cried with her hands over her face in the courtroom as she can be heard in the video pleading for Benavides to stop. Mark A Benavides, born Circa 1971 Mark A Benavides was born circa 1971. Benavides filmed videos of the violent sexual encounters, one of which was so graphic that a female juror fainted after viewing it in court. He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. Mark married Crystal A Valdez on month day 2009, at age 28 at marriage place, Texas. He is a calculating and manipulating liar, she told the jury. 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. Read more of her stories here. Benavides' wife of 11 years, Linda, appeared at the trial's sentencing phase to urge the jury to 'please be fair' as she announced she was staying with him, reported Express News. Just this month, Benavides was indicted again for continuous trafficking of persons in connection with alleged incidents with four of the women from 2012 to 2015. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. 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Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed. But he's a good person. I felt like he was coming on to me, and I didnt like it.. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. Benavides texted and called her, describing in explicit terms the sex acts he wanted her to perform. Prosecutors said rather than tack on more prison time for Benavides, who is eligible for parole in about 28 years, theyre more interested in making sure the clients he represented are receiving due justice for their cases. 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. Linda Benavides (front), who is the wife of Mark Benavides, and his mother, Olga Benavides, are emotional after he was given 80 years after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons on Friday. Prosecutor Michelle Chacon questioned the victim, who explained that she had sex with Benavides in July 2014 for her bond on the day he became her court-appointed attorney. She claims he forced her to have anal sex. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. scott van pelt wife age. His kids love him so much,' she told the jury while crying. Anyone who feels they were forced to take a plea deal by Benavides is urged to contact the Bexar County Public Defenders Office at 210-504-6216. Benavides admitted that he had sex with all of the women named in the indictment and recorded their motel sexual sessions. The video caused one juror to faint, according to the Express News. His sentences will run concurrently, and he will be eligible for parole in 30 years. The woman pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana. His accusers said those sexual encounters took placeon days when they had court dates, and sometimes would occurin jury and witness rooms in the courthouse. This latest indictment marks the fifth open case against him, including two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault, and two charges of continuous trafficking of persons. It took the panel about six hours to decide on the sentences for the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. This month, Benavides was indicted again on a charge of continuous trafficking of persons in connection with alleged incidents that involved four women between 2012 and 2015. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." There are women we did speak to that did not want to participate," said Meredith Chacon, a prosecutor. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 and charged with compelling prostitution in cases involving at least nine female clients. This is a carousel. The case was later dismissed for a lack of evidence and Elkhaliny was set to be released from county jail without having to pay bail. The case was later dismissed for a lack of evidence and Elkhaliny was set to be released from county jail without having to pay bail. Another victim, now 51, was arrested in 2013 for DWI. Prosecutors said Benavides will be back in a courtroom to face additional charges. Each case will be tried separately. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. 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. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. 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. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. Both said Benavides actions cast a cloud over the entire legal profession in Bexar County. S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? 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. It took the panel nearly four hours to find Benavides, 48, guilty on all six. He has applied for probation, according to court records. One of the women, now 32, covered her eyes and stifled tears as she recounted her ordeal. The former attorney faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons, according to court records. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Rory Tingle For Dailymail.com Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved. He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. A now 51-year-old woman was arrested in 2013 on a DWI charge and hired Mark Benavides as her attorney. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex, Author says stakes are high in Alamo makeover project. The women said the alleged encounters took place at his law office, motels, his car and the courthouse, according to the affidavit. He was in the wrong no matter what people did.. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. The case is being heard at the Wilson County under a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. 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.. Steege said he had not. 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. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. When questioned by prosecutor Jay Norton about whether she thought her husband had committed a crime she replied: 'I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news. Benavidesapologized Thursday and asked for forgiveness as he testified. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. Jurors were shown a video recorded by one of Benavides alleged victims showing a violent sexual . Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benvides sits in the 186th District Court in this March 23, 2017, photo. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. 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. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. RELATED: New Braunfels man with history of 'deviant' sex acts with vegetables sentenced to life in prison. He is facing up to 99 years in prison. 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.
