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The sentencing of convicted felon Michelle Barrientes Vela was paused again Thursday, as her attorneys and prosecutors were granted time to finalize arguments over whether a key witness will be allowed to testify against her.

Former Bexar County Precinct 2 Capt. Marc D. Garcia was ordered to appear before Judge Velia Meza when the sentencing hearing of resumes his former boss, Michelle Barrientes Vela at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Despite being sworn in, former Bexar County Precinct 2 captain Marc D. Garcia left court Wednesday without taking the witness stand against his former boss, Michelle Barrientes Vela.

Former Bexar County Precinct 2 captain Marc D. Garcia appears to have turned state’s witness and is scheduled to testify against Michelle Barrientes Vela Wednesday during the sentencing phase of her public corruption trial.

Former Bexar County Precinct 2 captain Marc D. Garcia appears to have turned state’s witness and is scheduled to testify against Michelle Barrientes Vela Wednesday during the sentencing phase of her public corruption trial.

The prosecution rested its case Wednesday afternoon in the public corruption trial of Michelle Barrientes Vela, capping off seven days of testimony that ranged from methodical to explosive and included a mistrial nearly being declared.

A Texas Ranger testified Tuesday that park security records handed over by Michelle Barrientes Vela in the summer of 2019 did not match records he had already obtained from a county whistleblower.

A deputy with the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office testified Monday that he worked security at Rodriguez Park between eight and ten times while serving in a reserve capacity, and was not compensated.

A former Bexar County Precinct 2 clerk who sought out the Texas Rangers to expose “wrongdoing” by Michelle Barrientes Vela testified Friday that she wore a secret recording device repeatedly in the summer of 2019 but did not tape the then-constable saying anything incriminating.

A former Precinct 2 clerk who provided critical information to law enforcement about the inner workings of Michelle Barrientes Vela’s administration testified Thursday that the then-constable was left “rattled” after learning she was under criminal investigation in the summer of 2019.

A San Antonio man who rented pavilions at Rodriguez Park for decades of special events testified Wednesday that former Bexar County Pct. 2 Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela and other uniformed deputies intimidated him and his family as they prepared to celebrate the Easter holiday in 2019.

This newsletter brings you the biggest stories in the criminal justice system in San Antonio, Bexar County and beyond

The trials of Barrientes Vela and her former captain, Marc D. Garcia, had been scheduled to begin Monday but were delayed again due to an ongoing trial in 226th District Court.

A visiting judge has denied a motion to have the Bexar County district attorney disqualified from the public corruption case of Michelle Barrientes Vela, setting the state for the indicted ex-constable to finally go to trial nearly two years after she and a member of her administration were indicted.

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales this week pushed back on an attempt to remove his office from prosecuting indicted ex-constable Michelle Barrientes Vela, claiming the defense’s motion to have him disqualified failed to provide evidence of any conflict of interest.

Months before Bexar County officials settled multiple lawsuits filed against indicted ex-constable Michelle Barrientes Vela, she and her former captain repeatedly invoked their 5th Amendment privileges, taped depositions obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders show.

The picture of Charles Ybarra smiling while surrounded by loved ones should have represented the proud culmination of months of planning for a family reunion. Instead, its a reminder of one of the most stressful days of his life.