In the News

Despite his record of repeated bond violations, convicted criminal Eric Semien was sentenced by District Court Judge Desean Jones to just $9,000 in bail for capital murder charges.

Courtroom delays have caused the county jail population to swell, with the most recent report on court performance from the County Office of Budget and Evaluation showing jail costs associated with the 17 felony courts in 2021 ballooned to $59.6 million, up from $47.4 million in 2020.

During a prior trial, Judge Rolnick allegedly made facial expressions, rolled his eyes, and gestured with his body to convey his disbelief in the victim’s allegations of sexual abuse. Rolnick’s comments to jurors post-trial “upset the jurors who then questioned their verdict.”

In August, ankle GPS monitors identified two men out on bond as suspects in the murder of an off-duty Harris County deputy constable.

Due to court backlogs, dangerous felons who should be in custody could be released back onto the streets as a result of increased crime in Harris County.

Dallas Commissioner JJ Koch believes criminal district judges are responsible for overcrowding in the Dallas County jail, which is almost at capacity.