Austin district attorney called out for soft on crime policies amid his criticism of Abbott's pardon
Christopher Branham was robbed and beaten back in 2020, and his mother and sister joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss District Attorney José Garza's handling of Branham's murder.
An Austin, Texas, man who pleaded guilty to attacking a woman and exposing himself to a child was sentenced to 10 years of probation on Tuesday after 16 months of negotiations between the suspect’s attorney and a George Soros-backed district attorney who has been accused of being tough on police and soft on crime, according to reports.
Antonio Cordero-Rios was convicted of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and injury to a child.
Antonio Cordero-Rios pleaded guilty to aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and injury to a child for indecent exposure charges (Austin Police Department)
During his sentencing on Tuesday, FOX 7 in Austin reported, Cordero-Rios’ victims packed the courtroom, some who waited almost two years to see justice served.
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One of those victims was Lynn Isaak, who on June 30, 2021, was attacked by someone in a mask.
Isaak’s Apple Watch was able to track the length of time she struggled to fight off the perpetrator yet was ultimately told by the Austin Police Department that it would be tough to find out who attacked her.
An Austin Police Department officer on patrol. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ((Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
The lack of assistance from the department came the year after the Austin City Council voted to defund the police by about a third of its budget, leading the department into a critical staffing crisis. The city council was later forced by state law to restore the approximately $150 million it had cut from the APD budget, but by then an officer exodus was already underway. The city council, led by then-Mayor Steve Adler and Council Member Greg Casar, also canceled police cadet classes, resulting in fewer officers coming in to replace those who were departing.
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Without the police department’s help, FOX 7 reported, Isaak went on Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking site for neighborhoods.
While using the site, Isaak learned that other women had encountered the suspect, and the victims were able to begin connecting dots like the make, model and license plate of the vehicle. They also created a map showing the locations of each incident, which led to Cordero-Rios’ arrest.
Inside a courtroom with gavel in view. (iStock)
On Tuesday, Isaak was the only victim to say something to the newly convicted Cordero-Rios.
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"Your sentence is too lenient. You got off easy for what you did. I have heard no remorse from you. I have heard no apology," she said. "You are a monster, and I don’t forgive you for what you did to me."
Along with 10 years of probation, District Judge Karen Sage told Cordero-Rios he must stay away from all the victims and children and register as a sex offender.
Cordero-Rios’s attorney, Jorge Vela, told FOX 7 his client felt remorse for what he did.
"My client, in pleading guilty, recognizes his actions," Vela told the news station. "He’s accepting responsibility."
AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 18: District Attorney Jose Garza in Austin, TX on Thursday, November 18, 2021. (Photo by Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Photo by Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
As for the light sentence of probation over prison time, though, Vela thanked the Travis County District Attorney’s office.
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Vela said the deal was reached with the DA’s office after 16 months of negotiation and considering Cordero-Rios’ lack of criminal history prior to the multiple assaults, and the facts of the case.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza has been criticized in the past for being tough on cops and soft on crime. In fact, last year he charged a suspect with a misdemeanor in connection with a fatal DUI crash, which led to a 10-day jail sentence. In February 2022, Garza obtained indictments against more than 20 APD police officers for actions taken during the violent 2020 riots.
According to data compiled by the Capital Research Center, Garza is one of dozens of district attorneys around the country to have been substantially backed by left wing billionaire George Soros, via direct contributions and supporting ads from activist groups such as the Texas Justice and Public Safety PAC.
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Although Cordero-Rios received a 10-year probation sentence and no time in jail, Judge Sage was stern when she handed it down.
"I give you my word," FOX 7 reported the judge as saying. "It’s on my watch now. There will be no more survivors. This is it. It ends here."
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