SAN ANTONIO – A man charged in two high-profile cases was back in court as a judge denied special prosecutors’ request to remove themselves in his ongoing felony cases.
Terrence Harper is charged with serious crimes dating back over a decade, including injury to a child causing serious bodily injury from 2018 and capital murder of a child under 10 from 2012.
In July 2018, Harper was arrested for allegedly severely beating his infant son.
During this investigation, authorities revisited an earlier case from 2012, where Harper was a suspect in the death of another infant in his care. Harper was subsequently indicted on both charges: injury to a child and capital murder.
Due to a conflict of interest involving District Attorney Joe Gonzales, who had previously represented Harper before becoming DA, the case was handed over to special prosecutors Therese Huntzinger and Daniel De La Garza.
In November 2022, Harper was tried and found guilty of injury to a child, leading to a 99-year prison sentence. Since his conviction, Harper has hired a new attorney, John Hunter, known for his work on notable cases such as those of Andre McDonald and Mark Howerton.
In early 2023, Harper appealed his conviction, which the 8th Court of Appeals overturned, requiring a retrial.
Huntzinger and De La Garza recently sought to step down as special prosecutors, but 186th District Court Judge Kristina Escalona denied their request Tuesday.
Escalona ruled that they must continue handling the cases.
The state plans to appeal the 8th Court of Appeals’ decision to a higher court. If the appeal is unsuccessful, a retrial could begin as early as next year.
Harper faces up to life in prison if found guilty of injury to a child and faces life in prison without parole if found guilty in the capital murder case.