mark benavides wife
Prosecutors said Benavides traded sex for legal services. 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 . 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. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. She said she rejected his overtures. More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. San Antonio defense attorney Mark Benavides was running for a local judge's seat in 2015 when he was arrested and charged with coercing women to have sex with him as "payment" for his legal services. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. The sentences will be served at the same time. Benavides told her she had to plead guilty to stay out of prison. This jury understood that., RELATED: S.A. company responds after woman finds 'teeth' in barbacoa. More: Jury find woman who killed nephew guilty of murder, Ronald Cortes, for the San Antonio Express News, Marvin Pfeiffer, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, More: Jury'sguilty verdict sends convicted killer into frenzy in San Antonio courtroom, William Luther, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, psychologist at upscale apartment complex near downtown, Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. The trial started last week and included testimony from all six accusers. He cheated. 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. It's an understatement to call it cheating if its a criminal act, Norton replied. 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. She agreed to tell her story on the condition that she not be . 07:32 GMT 08 Apr 2018. The jury entered deliberations at 1:18 p.m. He lied to you, sitting here. 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. She remembers thinking, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. Both sides rested their cases and are expected to begin closing arguments this afternoon. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex - San Antonio Express-News. When she had to see him, she would bring her mother along. The woman said that, eventually, Benavides stopped talking to her about her drug case except to urge her to plead guilty. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Investigators seized 246 mini DVDs that contained hundreds of videos of Benavides and the former clients engaged in various sex acts, in which he could be heard directing the women and telling them what to do and say. ', Norton said: 'They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion.'. Benavides is being tried in. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt. He is now treatable.. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 while he was running for Bexar County District judge, and was indicted in April 2016. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. FLORESVILLE A juror hearing a sex case against a former San Antonio attorney fainted after seeing video of a sexual encounter involving the defendant as his trial opened Tuesday. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. I felt like he was coming on to me, and I didnt like it.. Mark Benavides, 48, is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, accused of having sex with clients in prostitution cases in exchange for legal services. SAN ANTONIO -- The former lawyer convicted of exchanging legal services will be heading to prison after additional cases against him were dropped on Tuesday. Reyes survived for two weeks before being pronounced dead. The evidence against Benavides included portions of 246 videos the lawyer recorded of himself having sex with his clients. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The victim responded, I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. I was never alone with him after that, she said. Benavides filmed videos of the violent sexual encounters, one of which was so graphic that a female juror fainted after viewing it in court. Officials said the call will be kept confidential. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Woman's University at Denton in 1985. He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. Prosecutor Jay Norton said this case was about forced sex, not just about legal services.. Benavides admitted that he had sex with all of the women named in the indictment and recorded their motel sexual sessions. It took the panel about six hours to decide on the sentences for the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. 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. 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. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, appears in the Wilson County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Floresville, TX. This is a carousel. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. 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. But the experience left her deeply scarred. Since then, he has been named in multiple-count indictments. On ExpressNews.com: Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex. He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. Benavides was convicted in 2018 for six counts of human trafficking for trading sex for legal services. Required fields are marked *. juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. Former attorney Mark Benavides was in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing. San Antonio teen beating: A San Antonio 16-year-old who refused an arranged marriage endured six months of beatings at the hands of her parents before running away from her San Antonio home, according to court documents. 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. He took me to a small room down a back hallway, and at that point he told me if I didnt perform a sexual act on him right then and there, he would not only kill my case, but try to worsen my case, she said, her voice trembling, even 12 years later. AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. Six months later, she was charged with driving under the influence, and she hired him to represent her. The defense has already filed an appeal. During the trial,San Antonio Police Department Detective Manual Morales testified that police found a filing cabinet at Benavides' home containing 246 of what the detective called "pornographic DVDs" that showed Benavides having sex with women who police said were Benavides' clients. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. 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. Mark Benavides looks back at his wife and parents Friday as he is escorted out of the courtroom after being sentenced to 80 years for continuous trafficking of persons. 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. When he started throwing my son in there, I started taking him serious He started to get aggressive. Under cross examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. 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" He is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. 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. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. One after another, she lost her drivers license, her car, her job, her apartment. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. Benavides is being tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County because of intense media coverage. He would require her to say bye at the end to the camera. 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. She claims he forced her to have anal sex. 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. We know there are women that that did not want to talk. According to a criminal complaint, authorities alleged Mark Benavides pressured his victims everywhere from courtroom conference rooms to his office and hotels between 2009 and 2015. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. Benavides' wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to "please be fair." She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news, she said. She was convicted of the DUI charge and was sentenced to two years probation, which she completed in 2016. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. 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 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.. The time tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County because of intense coverage. Man whose remains were grilled to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of trafficking... And videos benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients, he has been named in multiple-count indictments years... Her about her drug case except to urge her to have anal sex for a pretrial hearing ex-mistress. Murder case involving San Antonio former attorney Mark benavides was sentenced to 80 for! 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