SAN ANTONIO – During a remote hearing, which has become the norm due to COVID-19 concerns, the attorney for Ricardo Pérez, 46, asked that he be released on bond.
Attorney Linda Corley claimed that an executive order signed last month by Gov. Greg Abbott is unconstitutional and asked District Judge Velia Meza to release her client on bond.
“The governor’s order violates the separation of powers in the Texas Constitution very clearly," Corley argued.
Pérez, who has been jailed since his August 2015 arrest, has a history of arrests and convictions for violent crimes, including retaliation and family violence.
Abbott’s order bans the release of inmates accused or convicted of violent crimes. During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutor Leslie Cortez said that Pérez fits that criteria.
“He is, in fact, a danger to the community given his extensive criminal history,” Cortez argued.
“I’m not going to say that the governor’s order is unconstitutional," Meza said. That, she said, is an issue for the appellate courts.
Meza denied Perez’s request.
“Keeping the community safe, regardless of the executive order, in my opinion, is the most important thing right now," Meza said during the hearing.