More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. 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.. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Since then, he has been named in multiple-count indictments. The sentences will be served at the same time. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Under questioning by defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. 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. The case is being heard at the Wilson County under a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. 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. juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. Benavides is facing a minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison on each count. 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. 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. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. It was a case that rattled San Antonio. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Benavides accusers testified during the first phase of the trial that Benavides would take them to a motel and record videos of those encounters. Mark A Benavides, born Circa 1971 Mark A Benavides was born circa 1971. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Prosecutor Jay Norton said this case was about forced sex, not just about legal services.. Marisol Morales is a case manager with the Bexar County Public Defender's Office working with victims of now-disbarred attorney Mark Benavides. He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Things changed the day she had a court appearance on her drug charge. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. He said he would help me get my son back, the woman told the court. 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. Jurors were shown a video recorded by one of Benavides alleged victims showing a violent sexual . } {"duration": "400ms","fill": "both","iterations": "1","direction": "alternate","animations": [{"selector": "#scrollToTopButton","keyframes": [{"opacity": "0","visibility": "hidden" 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. Defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero said Benavides admitted he lost his moral compass, and although he deserves to be punished, she asked for mercy. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. Personal Life, Parents and Family Details : Your email address will not be published. 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. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. He is now treatable.. RELATED: New Braunfels man with history of 'deviant' sex acts with vegetables sentenced to life in prison. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. Linda Benavides, Marks wife, testified on Friday morning and asked the jury to please be fair.. The woman who had been charged with drug possession encouraged victims to make that call. Under cross examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. I felt young and dumb and powerless. , updated SAN ANTONIO -- The former lawyer convicted of exchanging legal services will be heading to prison after additional cases against him were dropped on Tuesday. Benavides was found guilty Tuesday on six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. He was in the wrong no matter what people did.. Youre hurting me. She further testified, Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, What are you going to do? Her reply was, Im going to f*** my lawyer., During cross-examination, defense attorney Monica E. Guerrero suggested that the interactions were friendly even after his arrest. A 29-year-old woman who testified for the state that Benavides forced her to have anal sex and recorded the encounters sat with her hands over her face and cried as the jury heard her plead for Benavides to stop. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending. District Judge Dick Alcala noticed that the jurors were looking distraught so he ordered a break. The punishment phase is expected to begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Wilson County District Court in Floresville. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Michelle Fair Hilliker, seated at center, consoles a victim testifying in the Mark Benavides trial. More: Uresti, Cain found guilty on all charges in end to salacious month-long fraud trial. Benavides attorneys declined to comment on the verdict or sentencing. The defense has already filed an appeal. The jury entered deliberations at 1:18 p.m. It dragged on for nearly four years. Required fields are marked *. Each case will be tried separately. He has applied for probation, according to court records. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. The sentences will be served at the same time. More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. One of the women, now 32, covered her eyes and stifled tears as she recounted her ordeal. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. This jury understood that., RELATED: S.A. company responds after woman finds 'teeth' in barbacoa. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. In April 2016, a jury indicted the San Antonio-based lawyer on multiple counts of sexual assault and compelling prostitution. The Express-News generally does not identify victims of sexual assault. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. He is a calculating and manipulating liar, she told the jury. 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. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. Uresti was found guilty of defrauding investors in the now-defunct company FourWinds Logistics, which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production before it collapsed in 2015. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. 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.. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt. Benavides was convicted in 2018 for six counts of human trafficking for trading sex for legal services. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. At the time he had been running as a candidate as a state district judge. He lied to you, sitting here. 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. 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. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. 07:32 GMT 08 Apr 2018. 'Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, 'What are you going to do?' This jury understood that.. Benavides will have to serve 30 years before becoming eligible for parole. What I saw yesterday (in Benavides testimony) was a totally different man. The intense media coverage prompted a change of venue to Floresville in Wilson County, where a jury heard testimony from six women Benavides had represented in prostitution or drug cases. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. 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. 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. I was never alone with him after that, she said. Besides offering more indoor exhibit space and outdoor interpretation in a quieter, pedestrian-friendly area, Stephen Harrigan suggests the public-private Alamo project will help people better Former attorney Mark Benavides enters the courtroom of Judge Dick Alcala on Friday during the punishment phase of his trial in Floresville. 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. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. I felt like he wasnt even trying to help me anymore, but I already had given him $3,000 and I couldnt afford another lawyer, she said. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Benavides has applied for probation. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'. Another victim, now 51, was arrested in 2013 for DWI. Under questioning by Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. Benavideswill get credit for the days he has already served. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. 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 threatened that if they did not, he would withhold legal services, sabotage their cases and make sure they went to prison. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex - San Antonio Express-News. At the end, she said, he would ask her to say bye to the camera. Rodriguez argued that Benavides did not kill someone and should not be sent away for life. After the judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, the victims mother collapsed in the courtroom. Please be fair. 'Mark, it hurts!' He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege said. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. He said he knew police and judges and I didnt know who to try to ask for help, she said. "I'm so sorry. Under questioning by Guerrero, Benavides said her husbands demeanor changed after his arrest in 2015. This is a carousel. I knew he was serious. He will serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. A now 51-year-old woman was arrested in 2013 on a DWI charge and hired Mark Benavides as her attorney. She agreed to tell her story on the condition that she not be . 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. Early life. Mott died Aug. 8, 2015 and was to be cremated Aug. 15, 2015. | 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. RJ Marquez has been at KSAT since 2010. AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863. Several women also testified that they would also have sex with Benavides in backrooms at the courthouse. It was important for us to correct a wrong from someone in our bar.. He was in the wrong no matter what people did, said a 32-year-old woman who was one of Benavides' victims. 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. Its the reason she agreed to speak out about what happened, despite her continuing fear of Benavides. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. Read more of her stories here. 14:01 GMT 07 Apr 2018 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. Both told their stories to the Express-News, on condition their names not be published. 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. The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Uresti was found guilty of defrauding investors in the now-defunct company FourWinds Logistics, which bought and sold sand used in fracking for oil production before it collapsed in 2015. She said she wont ever be able to forget what Benavides did to her. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. Its not something thats far in the past, Morales said. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. By It was creepy, throwing advances like that, and he wants me to put out for him to help me. On Tuesday, prosecutors in a Texas court played footage of Benavides forcing one such client to have anal sex with him, KSAT reported. 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. In her closing argument, defense attorney Liza Rodriguez said Benavides is not the person jurors saw only in the snippets of video the state put together for them to watch. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Apparently, this has been going on for virtually his entire legal career, here. The case was tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. The 48-year-old, who has since been disbarred, was first arrested in November 2015 accused of using force or coercing at least nine female clients into prostitution. Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending life, Parents and Family Details: Your email will... 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