Travis County District Attorney's Office

09/04/2026

Earlier this week, DA Garza spoke at a press conference commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day, organized by our community-based harm reduction partners, VOCAL Texas and Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. Advocates and speakers stressed the vital importance of funding harm reduction programs that save lives and strengthen our community.
In 2025, and for the second year in a row, accidental drug deaths went down in our community. We saw a 21% reduction in overdose deaths from 380 in 2024 to 301 in 2025. These are the results of working with our community partners, harm reduction advocates, Commissioner's Court, and members of our legislature to increase access to information and tools that save lives, such as Naloxone.
At the TCDA, we have invested in training to ensure everyone in our community knows how to use Naloxone to save a life, and we advocated for the legalization of fentanyl test strips in the legislature.
We believe that a safer, healthier community is one where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
Rather than imposing felony convictions on individuals who use drugs, we are connecting them into a judgment-free community, providing life-saving information, and facilitating access to peer support through Restore, our diversion partnership with Communities for Recovery. Communities for Recovery
Together, we can continue building community where everyone’s potential can flourish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4rUAgoW0u4

06/30/2026

As June wraps up and Gun Violence Awareness Month comes to an end, our DA sincerely appreciates our wonderful community partners, ATX Peace, Community Justice Action Fund, Life Anew Restorative Justice, Cities United, and Jail to Jobs, who work tirelessly to keep our community safe by offering essential resources and support that bring stability and hope to our neighbors and friends in need. Public safety is stability.

Earlier this month, they organized and participated in the 5th Annual Gun Violence Summit, bringing together community leaders, public safety officials, survivors, advocates, and policymakers to discuss ongoing initiatives to reduce violence, support those affected by violence, and find collaborative solutions to make our community safer.

We're working together on community- and hospital-based violence intervention programs, youth engagement projects, and initiatives across our public safety agencies to continue improving our public safety outcomes. As a result of this work, since 2021, violent crime rates in Austin have steadily dropped.

Our continued collaboration with community partners, local government, public safety officials, and healthcare systems remains vital to preventing and reducing gun violence and to building a safer community for everyone.

05/22/2026

Congratulations to our Assistant District Attorney Matt Foye on receiving the 2026 Texas Impaired Driving Safety Award in the prosecution category during the Impaired Driving Forum training last month! This special recognition was given by the Texas Impaired Driving Task Force in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation. The awards highlight the dedication of public safety leaders, law enforcement, prosecutors, and organizations that work tirelessly to eliminate impaired driving in Texas and protect lives by raising awareness of its serious consequences.

ADA Matt Foye has played a vital role in prosecuting and managing some of our community's most significant impaired driving cases.

As we approach Memorial Day weekend, we want to remind our community to drive safely and responsibly.

04/28/2026

Last week, our Victim Services Director, Neva Fernandez, members of our leadership team, and Special Victims Division, joined our county leaders in their proclamation recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Part of the county’s proclamation included an awards presentation honoring two community members who serve on the Austin/Travis County Sexual Assault Response & Resource Team (SARRT). Our office is proud to be part of SARRT, which facilitates a coordinated community response by bringing together law enforcement, advocates, and health professionals to improve outcomes for sexual assault survivors.
This year, Director Fernandez presented the SARRT Impact Award to our partner Kachina Clark, APD’s Victim Services and Employee Wellness Division Manager, and the SARRT Inspirational Award to Hanna Senko, a sexual assault survivor speaker and advocate.
We are grateful to our team leaders, prosecutors, and victim counselors, who work diligently with our law enforcement, community, and advocate partners to coordinate services and implement a coordinated response that supports survivors and meets their needs.
Our dedicated team and partnerships have led to a doubling of convictions in sexual assault cases in 2023 and 2024, compared with any of the past six years.
Our office publishes monthly and annual reports on adult sexual assault prosecutions. These reports include information on cases staffed with law enforcement, cases accepted for prosecution, and case outcomes.
https://districtattorney.traviscountytx.gov/data-and-reports/

04/17/2026

Earlier this week, our DA joined county leaders, public safety officials, and community partners at the county’s proclamation and press conference recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The speakers highlighted how our public safety leaders and community partners work tirelessly to support children as they navigate the criminal justice system during an extremely challenging period.
In 2025, our office oversaw 617 criminal cases of child abuse and filed 342 civil intervention cases aimed at safeguarding the physical and emotional well-being of children within Travis County.
We are grateful to our Director of CPS, Child Abuse, and Child Protection Teams, our Child Abuse Unit Team Leads, and our 19 specialized attorneys who combat child exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Our prosecutors work closely with law enforcement and community partners to achieve this goal and prioritize their cases for trial.
For example, in March 2026, a Travis County jury convicted Francisco Villafranca-Funes of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and two counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact. The jury sentenced him to 60 years for each of the two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and 15 years for each of the two counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact. Our Assistant District Attorneys, Jacob Salinas and Emmanuel Ojomo, worked diligently with Travis County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ann Rivas to hold the defendant accountable and seek justice for the victim.
During the press conference, our DA announced that since the start of this year, we have appointed a senior criminal litigation attorney at the Center for Child Protection, working in close coordination with law enforcement detectives during case investigations. This is in addition to having a prosecutor embedded at the center, providing direct legal support, and fostering essential collaboration between our organizations to better serve children and families.
Our team approaches every case with compassion and is well-trained to minimize trauma throughout the legal process. We established policies and underwent specialized training to keep each child and family's needs at the forefront of our work.
Protecting children, seeking justice, and facilitating healing truly requires an entire community of dedicated professionals. The District Attorney's Office is proud and honored to be part of this group committed to the safety and well-being of children and families.
Together, we are building safer communities and brighter futures for Travis County children and families.
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/travis-county-recommits-to-child-abuse-prevention-efforts/

03/13/2026

In case you missed it, earlier this week, Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced that Judge Wahlberg signed the State’s motion to dismiss Carmen Mejia’s indictment after the Court of Criminal Appeals found Ms. Mejia actually innocent and remanded her case to Travis County for dismissal.

In 2005, Carmen Mejia was wrongfully accused and convicted of Murder, Injury to a Child with Serious Bodily Injury, and Injury to a Child by Omission and sentenced to three concurrent terms of life in prison with parole in the death of a 10-month-old baby in her care.

“In this case, our criminal justice system failed the victim’s family and Carmen Mejia. Our hope is that through our actions, we can bring some closure and peace to both families. As prosecutors, we have an obligation to ensure the integrity of convictions and to seek justice. Dismissing Ms. Mejia’s case is the right thing to do after she established clear and convincing evidence that she is innocent. We wish Ms. Mejia and her family the best in her new chapter. We will never be able to give her back the lost years, but we are grateful to the Innocence Project, our Conviction Integrity Unit, and Mr. Art Guerrero, and all who contributed to making sure our office could fulfill its promise to seek justice and right this wrong.” – TCDA José Garza

In 2021, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit, under Travis County District Attorney José Garza, was reorganized and provided with additional resources. Over the last five years, the CIU has participated in multiple historical case reviews. Read the CIU’s Five-Year Report to learn more about cases handled by TCDA’s Conviction Integrity Unit.
https://districtattorney.traviscountytx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CIU-Update-1.pdf
https://www.statesman.com/news/courts/article/carmen-mejia-released-immigration-detainer-austin-22070647.php
https://innocenceproject.org/news/carmen-mejia-exonerated-texas-22-years/

02/19/2026

This afternoon, Travis County District Attorney José Garza joined the wrongfully accused men in the Yogurt Shop Murders, their families, and their counsel after a judge officially exonerated the men and declared them innocent. DA Garza thanked our First Assistant, Trudy Strassburger, and our Conviction Integrity Unit for working hard to ensure this truth came to light. They work tirelessly each day to reveal the truth for many individuals who are wrongfully accused in our state.

DA Garza delivered the following remarks during our press conference:

"It is my sincere hope that the proceedings that have taken place today will bring long-awaited closure to every person who has been affected by the yogurt shop murders.
It is my sincere hope that with this closure, we can begin to heal.
Chief Davis - thank you for supporting this investigation, thank you for not giving up, and thank you for making sure the truth saw the light. No matter how painful it was, or how difficult it was to fathom.
The evidence is clear: Robert Eugene Brashers committed the Yogurt Shop Murders.
I only regret that is that he is not alive so that he could be prosecuted and held accountable.
To the families of Amy, Eliza, Sarah, and Jennifer, both those here today and those who could not be here, we are sorry this journey has only amplified your grief.
I hope that certainty of the evidence and the science will aid you on your path to closure and healing.
To Amy, Eliza, Sarah, and Jennifer: we are sorry we failed you for so long. May you rest in peace knowing the truth of that horrific night has been revealed.
To Forrest Welborn, on behalf of the office of the Travis County District Attorney: I am sorry for what you have been through. You are innocent and were wrongfully accused.
I hope that this process and any process that comes after affords you a fresh start.
To Kim and Marisa Pierce: I am so sorry Maurice isn’t here today. He is innocent, and he was wrongfully accused. I hope the truth brings you some peace.
To Mr. Springsteen and to Mr. Scott: you were wrongfully convicted, and you are innocent.
On behalf of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, I am sorry. I hope that this process and any process that comes after affords you peace and freedom."

02/06/2026

This week, DA José Garza joined our community partners during the launch of “One Safe Central Texas” (OSCTX), a regional partnership dedicated to a coordinated public health strategy for violence prevention across Central Texas. OSCTX unites city and county leaders, public safety and health agencies, community-based organizations, and residents to collaborate on evidence-based Community Violence Intervention (CVI) efforts. The initiative is backed by our partners, Cities United, which supports jurisdictions in developing long-lasting, comprehensive public safety systems.

Together, we are implementing the “Roadmap for Peace” to reduce shootings and homicides, strengthen the regional Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem, improve coordination and accountability across partners, and use data to guide sustainable, long-term solutions for communities most affected by violence.

To achieve this vision, the Roadmap for Peace centers on five core goals:
- Reduce shootings and homicides in the highest-risk neighborhoods and social networks
- Increase protective factors, including stable housing, education, and employment, for young men and boys, as well as adults at highest risk
- Strengthen and sustain the Community Violence Intervention ecosystem across Central Texas
- Improve coordination and accountability among public agencies, community-based organizations, and institutional partners
- Use data and evaluation to guide decision-making, measure impact, and continuously improve outcomes

“Over the past five years, we have worked with victims, community and safety leaders, nonprofit partners, violence prevention advocates, and policymakers to build an ecosystem dedicated to tackling gun violence and finding solutions to decrease and prevent it,” said Travis County DA Jose Garza. “Together, we are tirelessly working to support victims of violent crime, implementing strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence, and keep our community safe. We are grateful for our partnerships and initiatives, which are making a lasting positive impact and saving lives in Travis County.”

02/03/2026

ICYMI, yesterday, Travis County District Attorney José Garza was interviewed by K*T Austin’s Jerry Quijano about his participation in the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach, a coalition of District Attorneys that will assist in prosecuting federal law enforcement officers who violate state law.
The coalition was created in response to growing concerns about warrantless entries, unlawful detentions, and aggressive enforcement tactics by federal agents. The DAs will share strategies, provide public updates on efforts to curb unlawful federal conduct, educate the public about available legal paths, and coordinate accountability efforts across jurisdictions.
https://kutkutx.studio/category/austin-signal
The interview begins approximately 6 minutes into the show.
For more information about the coalition: https://federaloverreach.org/

01/15/2026

ICYMI… The Austin Current spoke with DA Garza about how our office collaborates with our community and law enforcement partners to prevent and reduce gun violence, and how our efforts contributed to a decrease in homicides in 2025.

https://austincurrent.org/2026/01/12/austin-tx-falling-homicides/

“Domestic violence, random acts of gun violence, gun violence related to street crime, like drug dealing… are all very different challenges that require different solutions,” Garza said. “We’ve worked to build an entire ecosystem that can address each of these unique challenges that can lead to gun violence and build solutions that are tailored to those particular challenges.”

Austin had 55 homicides in 2025, marking the lowest total in five years. This is a significant drop from 72 homicides in 2024 and 90 homicides in 2021.

We are grateful to our community partners and advocates highlighted in the article who have contributed to and supported our comprehensive countywide gun violence reduction ecosystem since 2021. They are the frontline workers connecting our community to life-saving resources and programs.

In 2021, our office outlined a four-point plan detailing how our office addresses violent gun crimes. This included using both traditional and innovative prosecution strategies for sentencing people charged with gun crimes, working with community members to prevent gun violence by creating, supporting, & implementing intervention and prevention programs, taking guns out of the hands of those at high risk of committing an act of gun violence in an intimate partner relationship, & supporting programming to help survivors & families of the victims of gun violence.

In November 2022, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved the “Safer Travis County” Resolution to reduce the number of gun violence deaths in our community by forming initiatives focused on prevention, intervention, and accountability.
Key items approved in the resolution that are currently addressing the needs of victims and mitigating violence comprise the implementation of a Hospital-based Violence Prevention Program (HVIP) to assist victims of violence, in addition to a Prosecutor-led Gun Violence Prevention Program that disrupts cycles of violence by equipping at-risk individuals with skills tailored to reduce their likelihood of future firearm-related incidents.

Following a pandemic shutdowns surge, Austin’s falling homicide numbers renewed debate over what drives violent crime and what reduces it.