The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. Benavides admission of the DVDs' existencewas recorded at police headquarters in November 2015, when detectives interviewed him. Mark Benavides, 48, is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, accused of having sex with clients in prostitution cases in exchange for legal services. 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.. 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. As the jurors were exiting the courtroom, one juror fainted. 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. Mark Henry Benavides, 48, broke down in tears on Friday as he heard the sentence and mouthed 'I love you' to his wife, who is still staying with him. 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. When he started throwing my son in there, I started taking him serious He started to get aggressive. Required fields are marked *. She was 20 when she found herself facing possible prison time. By
A Wilson County jury found Benavides guilty on Tuesday. As they were walking out, one woman fainted at the door. Marisol Morales is a case manager with the Bexar County Public Defender's Office working with victims of now-disbarred attorney Mark Benavides. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. She was granted probation and successfully completed it. Ex-attorney Mark Benavides found guilty on all 6 counts of continuous trafficking of persons KSAT 12 193K views 4 years ago WATCH: Meteorologist Justin Horne gives his early weather forecast. She had never been in trouble before and had no drugs on her person, but that arrest triggered a terrifying string of events that still affects her today. "" 11-23; 09-29; 09-29; 2021 09-17 "" . He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. 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. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. }] Linda Benavides, Marks wife, testified on Friday morning and asked the jury to please be fair.. 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 was convicted. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. 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. 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. Benavides repeatedly ordered the woman to 'come back here' in the footage, while the woman pressed her hands against her face and sobbed. 'To me, it's cheating,' Benavides replied. Mark Benavides, 48, is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, accused of having sex with clients in prostitution cases in exchange for legal services. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. He wanted to meet up.. 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. She was encouraged to answer: 'I'm going to [expletive] my lawyer.' His mother, Olga Benavides, defended her son on the witness stand, saying she didn't think he was guilty of trafficking charges. mark benavides wife. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court. Charges against ten of eleven people arrested for animal cruelty in March, involving what one official described as some sort of unknown ritual involving dismembered goats and chickens, were later dropped. } View Non-AMP Version Copyright 2017 JDJOURNAL, Disbarred San Antonio Attorney Mark Benavides Trial Delayed, San Antonio Lawyer Compelled Clients for Sex, Woman Says She Traded Sex for Legal Services, Disney Star, Caroline Sunshine, Joins White House as a Press Assistant , East Palestine Train Derailment Draws Lawyers: Information Sessions and Client Sign-Ups Increase, Prosecutors Highlight Ex-Lawyer Murdaughs Financial Misdeeds and Inconsistencies in Murder Trial Cross-Examination, Consovoys Boutique Law Firm Returns to Supreme Court in Student Loan Lawsuit. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. 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. Mark married Crystal A Valdez on month day 2009, at age 28 at marriage place, Texas. 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. Benavides faces up to 99 years or life in prison. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. When prosecutor Jay Norton asked her if her husband committed a crime, Benavides said she couldnt say, because she was not allowed to hear testimony. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. More: Uresti, Cain found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court. Under questioning by defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Mark Benavides leaves the courtroom as his trial recesses for lunch in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday, April 5, 2018. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege said. The jurors were so shocked by the clip that the judge sent them out for a break. He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. 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.. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. He said he would help me get my son back.. 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. 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. 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. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. Several women also testified that they would also have sex with Benavides in backrooms at the courthouse. Youre hurting me. 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. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. }] A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred attorney Mark Benavides pauses during an inteview at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. He did. Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. He paid more attention, we spent a lot more time with the kids, Benavides said. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. 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. Manage Settings Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. The woman pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana. 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. Steege said he saw a dramatic change in Benavides, from arrogant and entitled when they first met, to humble and treatable. The trial against former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides began Tuesday with a graphic start. The punishment phase is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Wilson County District Court in Floresville. 'He cheated. It took the panel nearly four hours to find Benavides, 48, guilty on all six. She said she rejected his advances and later lost her license, her car, job and apartment. Your email address will not be published. His sentences will run concurrently, and he will be eligible for parole in 30 years. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. So, I did.. Linda Benavides testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of her husband, Mark Benavides, in Floresville. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. On Tuesday, prosecutors in a Texas court played footage of Benavides forcing one such client to have anal sex with him, KSAT reported. But he's a good person. He was in the wrong no matter what people did.. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. Before Benavides was taken away, the judge increased his bail to $150,000 on each of the remaining four cases pending against him. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. She was incredulous. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. 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