May 25, 2022 . He is a calculating and manipulating liar, she told the jury. Each case will be tried separately. He attended Unionville High School and was subsequently accepted into National Theatre School of Canada, graduating in 2004.. Career. By Six accusers testified he forced them to have sex, making them believe it would keep them out of jail or lessen their legal problems. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . Benavides admission of the DVDs' existencewas recorded at police headquarters in November 2015, when detectives interviewed him. SAN ANTONIO -- The former lawyer convicted of exchanging legal services will be heading to prison after additional cases against him were dropped on Tuesday. He said he knew police and judges and I didnt know who to try to ask for help, she said. Menchaca was allegedly beaten with baseball bats, dismembered and grilled on a barbecue pit in 2014. At the time of Mark's court proceedings, Linda requested the jury to "please be fair as his kids love him so much." Mark Henry Benavides will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. Mark Benavides (center) confers with defense attornies Monica E. Guerrero (right) and Liza Rodriguez (left) during his trial in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. At the end, she said, he would ask her to say bye to the camera. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. But he's a good person. He wanted to meet up.. Mark W Benavides, born Circa 1969 FLORESVILLE The wife of a former San Antonio attorney convicted of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services asked jurors here who will decide his punishment to be fair, because he does not deserve this.. A Wilson County jury found Benavides guilty on Tuesday. Reyes survived for two weeks before being pronounced dead. We are asking you for 25 years, she said. 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. He faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault and two charges of continuous trafficking of persons, according to court records. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion, Norton said. Benavides still faces two charges of sexual assault of a child, a charge of sexual assault and another charge of continuous trafficking of persons. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. On ExpressNews.com: Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into having sex. The jury found Benavides guilty of all six counts and sentenced him to 80 years in prison. juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. Each case will be tried separately. A 51-year-old victim of now-disbarred Mark Benavides goes through paperwork at her San Antonio home on June 18, 2020. Prosecutors proved that Benavides made women he was representing for alleged crimes, including DUI, minor drug offenses and prostitution, to have sex with him in exchange for legal services. 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. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. 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. Mark Benavides Mechanical Engineer at Consulting Engineering Services San Antonio, Texas, United States 233 followers 232 connections Join to connect Consulting Engineering Services (CES) Texas. mark benavides wife. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. As they were walking out, one woman fainted at the door. Murder-suicide at upscale apartment complex:Tania Rendon-Santiago was killed at her apartment complex in the 1800 block of Broadway Street in an apparent murder-suicide on March 12. Misael started at KSAT-TV as a photojournalist in 1987. 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. He is facing up to 99 years in prison. 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. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." He is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. More: Jury deadlocks in murder case involving San Antonio man whose remains were grilled. Calling him a master manipulator and liar, prosecutors had asked the jury to send Benavides to life in prison for having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides was found guilty Tuesday on six counts of continuous trafficking of persons. 'He cheated. The women state they employed Benavides as their lawyer for their prostitution cases but that he would coerce them into having sex in exchange for their legal problems being lessened, including dismissal of their cases. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. It's an understatement to call it cheating if its a criminal act, Norton replied. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. Mark Benavides (right) and defense attorney Liza Rodriguez are in court Thursday during the punishment phase of his trial in Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville. It dragged on for nearly four years. He was so resistant to the idea he had done anything wrong, Steege told the jury. While the video played, the victim cried with her hands over her face in the courtroom as she can be heard in the video pleading for Benavides to stop. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Their accounts paint a harrowing picture of how the justice system went awry in their cases. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." She later was excused and an alternate was seated. 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. Mark Benavides, 48, is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, accused of having sex with clients in prostitution cases in exchange for legal services. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into . 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. It's an understatement to call it cheating if its a criminal act, Norton replied. She said Benavides flirted with her and offered to help her incarcerated son. Michelle Fair Hilliker, seated at center, consoles a victim testifying in the Mark Benavides trial. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Benavides' wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to "please be fair." She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. This was someone within our legal community, Dahlberg said. Manage Settings Read more of her stories here. Its worth life, ladies and gentlemen, Chacon said in her closing argument. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts on the Express-News Crime Team. He said he would help me get my son back.. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. 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. More: San Antonio woman gunned down by estranged relativedies two weeks after shooting. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. 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. 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The case is being heard at the Wilson County under a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. Menchaca was allegedly beaten with baseball bats, dismembered and grilled on a barbecue pit in 2014. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. Benavides wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to please be fair.. Mark Benavides, 48, is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, accused of having sex with clients in prostitution cases in exchange for legal services. This is human trafficking, Chacon said. 'The jury found him guilty of crimes, not cheating.'. He ran for judge and he used that as part of his operation, his judicial candidacy, as coercion, Young said. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. Your email address will not be published. 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Jurors also viewed a separate DVD of Benavides trying to get his brother to destroy sex videos at his home as the investigation was underway. The latest indictment is the fifth open case against Benavides. 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. FLORESVILLE, Texas Closing arguments were set to begin Friday afternoon in the punishment phase of the trial for former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides. Woman held captive in Stone Oak home: What started as a theft investigation quickly became a violent sex assault case. Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. 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. He also writes a weekly Spurs newsletter. Her parents, Abdulah Fahmi Kala Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were arrested on Friday, March 23, 2018. 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.. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. His kids love him so much,' she told the jury while crying. Linda Benavides, Marks wife, testified on Friday morning and asked the jury to please be fair.. SAN ANTONIO - Though former attorney Mark Benavides is serving an 80-year prison term for trading his legal services for sex, his case is still under review by the Bexar County District. 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. 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. He is now treatable.. I felt young and dumb and powerless. FLORESVILLE A juror hearing a sex case against a former San Antonio attorney fainted after seeing video of a sexual encounter involving the defendant as his trial opened Tuesday. One of thevideos was so graphic that a female juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. We know there are women that that did not want to talk. 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. 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 A former San Antonio attorney has been. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. He still faces a possible charge for aggravated assault with severe bodily injury. He said he would help me get my son back, the woman told the court. She agreed to tell her story on the condition that she not be . Benavides was first arrested in November 2015, charged with compelling prostitution from at least nine female clients. Former San Antonio attorney Mark Benavides is serving 80 years in prison for forcing former clients into having sex. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. It was creepy, throwing advances like that, and he wants me to put out for him to help me. 14:01 GMT 07 Apr 2018 Required fields are marked *. Mark Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, appears in the Wilson County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Floresville, TX. The 48-year-old former attorney is accused of continuous human trafficking and having sex with clients in prostitution cases in return for legal services. Marisol Morales is a licensed counselor with the Bexar County Public Defenders Office and may be reached at 210-335-0701. Linda Benavides, wife of ex-SA attorney Mark Benavides, asks jury to please be fair. Personal Life, Parents and Family Details : Your email address will not be published. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. Mott died Aug. 8, 2015 and was to be cremated Aug. 15, 2015. The jurors were so shocked by the clip that the judge sent them out for a break. Prosecutors said Benavides will be back in a courtroom to face additional charges. She was arrested in 2013 for DWI; he insisted she plead guilty even though she said she was innocent. 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. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. One after another, she lost her drivers license, her car, her job, her apartment. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. 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.. Personal Life, Parents and Family Details : Mark was born on October 1st, 1969. 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. Early life. ', Norton said: 'They found him guilty of force, fraud and coercion.'. Alison Dahlberg, director of the DAs Conviction Integrity Unit, has worked with Michael Young, chief defender for the Bexar County Public Defenders Office, to identify potentially hundreds of victims of Benavides and re-evaluate their criminal cases. 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. He paid more attention; we spent a lot more time with the kids, she told the court. I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. She was incredulous. | 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. She said they'd first had sex in July 2014 - on the same day that he was appointed by the court to work as her attorney. Benavides faces up to 99 years or life in prison. } 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. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. Please be fair. More: Urestis alleged ex-mistress admits to relationship with his business partner. It was important for us to correct a wrong from someone in our bar.. Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. 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