, updated Each case is expected to be tried separately. This jury understood that., RELATED: S.A. company responds after woman finds 'teeth' in barbacoa. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018.
Her testimony came a day after Benavides took the stand. More: Uresti, Cain found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial. 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. The case is being heard at the Wilson County under a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. Read more of her stories here. The evidence against Benavides included portions of 246 videos the lawyer recorded of himself having sex with his clients. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. Benavidesapologized Thursday and asked for forgiveness as he testified. As the jurors were exiting the courtroom, one juror fainted. The video caused one juror to faint, according to the Express News. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. She said she rejected his advances and later lost her license, her car, job and apartment. she testified. 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. What I saw yesterday (in Benavides testimony) was a totally different man. He is now treatable.. 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. When she had to see him, she would bring her mother along. 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. He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege said. 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. A Wilson County jury found Benavides guilty on Tuesday. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. There are women we did speak to that did not want to participate," said Meredith Chacon, a prosecutor. She said Benavides told her to say 'bye' to the camera after they finished. Before Benavides was taken away, the judge increased his bail to $150,000 on each of the remaining four cases pending against him. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. 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. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. 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. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 while he was running for Bexar County District judge, and was indicted in April 2016. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. I felt young and dumb and powerless. 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" Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. A now 51-year-old woman was arrested in 2013 on a DWI charge and hired Mark Benavides as her attorney. 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. 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. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. He did. 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. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. Apparently, this has been going on for virtually his entire legal career, here. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. I looked at you three times, sir, and you were asleep, Norton told Steege. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. Steege said he had not. She couldnt afford another attorney she was afraid to hire one anyway and she remembers thinking to herself, If I dont go along with this dude, hes going to screw me in other ways. 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. Jurors on Friday afternoon are deliberating the fate of former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides. Benavides admitted that he had sex with all of the women named in the indictment and recorded their motel sexual sessions. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Many of the acts were recorded, and now, upon further review of the case, prosecutors said they found more victims in need of justice. The woman said a friend referred her to Benavides in 2008 for legal representation. Benavides wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to please be fair.. 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. 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. On ExpressNews.com: Four pending sex cases against convicted ex-San Antonio attorney dismissed. 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, it hurts!' He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Since then, the Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed evidence in the case and identified more than 50 women he represented and whose cases may have been tainted. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. 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. Former attorney Mark Benavides was in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing. Public Defender Michael Young is working with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit to review hundreds of Benavides cases with an eye toward overturning unfair convictions. "We know there are women we could never ID. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. He ran for judge and he used that as part of his operation, his judicial candidacy, as coercion, Young said. 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 is married to his wife, Linda Benavides, and they have two kids together. 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. She claims he forced her to have anal sex. Its rattlesnake season in Texas. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. 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. 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 he's a good person. Benavides forced six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases to have sex with him in return for legal help. Benavideswill get credit for the days he has already served. On Tuesday, prosecutors in a Texas court played footage of Benavides forcing one such client to have anal sex with him, KSAT reported. More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. At first, I thought he was playing around, recalled the woman, now 51. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. 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. AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Defense expert Mark Steege, a sex therapist who testified he has treated hundreds of sex offenders in 35 years, said he evaluated Mark Benavides in April 2017. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege told the jury. Personal Life, Parents and Family Details : Mark was born on October 1st, 1969. Reyes survived for two weeks before being pronounced dead. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. 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. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); For requests, complaints, suggestions or queries, contact us via E-mail below, Diane McIver Wikipedia Biography Family, Wedding, Age, Funeral, Dolores Avery Age, Death Dead or Alive 2023 Wikipedia, Young, Bio, RachelJeffs Husband, Net worth, Age, Children Kids Wiki Biography , Eddie Ray Routh Now 2023, Wikipedia, Die, Mother, Death, Age, PTSD, Dalia Dippolito Age, Wiki, Husband, Teeth, Family Son, Mom, Bio Now, Teresa Halbach Wiki, Family Tree, Brother, Bio Steven Avery Case , Elizabeth Yardley Wiki, Age, Birthday, Married, Family (Personal Life) Bio, Tex McIver Age, Wife Wikipedia Bio Appeal Updates, Ranch. 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.. It took the panel about six hours to decide on the sentences for the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. Due to the large amounts of publicity surrounding the case, the trial was moved from Bexar County to Wilson County. SAN ANTONIO - Though former attorney Mark Benavides is serving an 80-year prison term for trading his legal services for sex, his case is still under review by the Bexar County District. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. 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. She was convicted of the DUI charge and was sentenced to two years probation, which she completed in 2016. 'You're hurting me Don't be so rough.'. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. I was never alone with him after that, she said. According to court documents, the district attorney's office cited insufficient evidence in dropping the charges. She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. Meredith Chacon, also prosecuting, branded Benavides 'a pimp in a suit' during her closing arguments. }] 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. The trial against former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides began Tuesday with a graphic start. He is now treatable.. 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