Benavides has applied for probation. In the end, she had to hire another lawyer, because Benavides was behind bars by the time her case came up. Public Defender Michael Young is working with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit to review hundreds of Benavides cases with an eye toward overturning unfair convictions. mark benavides wife. The case was tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County, with Senior District Judge Dick Alcala presiding. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. This is human trafficking, Chacon said. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. }] The juror was replaced by an alternate. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking in persons and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. But Benavides said he believed the encounters were consensual and testified that trading sex in exchange for legal services was never discussed. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. His mother, Olga Benavides, defended her son on the witness stand, saying she didn't think he was guilty of trafficking charges. FLORESVILLE A Wilson County jury on Friday sentenced a former San Antonio attorney to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts he faced for coercing clients into sex. But why should I have to do that?. Many of the acts were recorded, and now, upon further review of the case, prosecutors said they found more victims in need of justice. We know there are women that that did not want to talk. The evidence against Benavides included portions of 246 videos the lawyer recorded of himself having sex with his clients. She has been excused from the trial and an alternate was put in her place. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. }] Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Read more of her stories here. Prosecutor Michelle Chacon questioned the victim, who explained that she had sex with Benavides in July 2014 for her bond on the day he became her court-appointed attorney. I felt like he wasnt even trying to help me anymore, but I already had given him $3,000 and I couldnt afford another lawyer, she said. Just this month, Benavides was indicted again for continuous trafficking of persons in connection with alleged incidents with four of the women from 2012 to 2015. Manage Settings He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. Heres what you need to know. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. He ran for judge and he used that as part of his operation, his judicial candidacy, as coercion, Young said. }] The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. More: 'A classic sociopath: Abused victims of Stone Oak playboy speak out after years of violence. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. The victim responded, I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. Benavides will serve 80 years for each count but the time will. Rory Tingle For Dailymail.com Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. Mark Benavides was scheduled to appear . Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. Dont be so rough. Benavides can also be heard in the video making sexually explicit commands and telling her to Come back here.. Six women he had represented in prostitution or drug cases testified he coerced. Six months later, she was charged with driving under the influence, and she hired him to represent her. Benavides was first arrested in November 2015, charged with compelling prostitution from at least nine female clients. In halting sobs, Benavidesapologized and asked for forgiveness as he testified. Steege said he had not. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. She told jurors Feb. 1, 2018, that she and Uresti would have sex in his law office. The jury found Benavides guilty of all six counts and sentenced him to 80 years in prison. He faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. San Antonio teen beating: A San Antonio 16-year-old who refused an arranged marriage endured six months of beatings at the hands of her parents before running away from her San Antonio home, according to court documents. They are urging other victims to come forward to keep him in prison for good. The 48-year-old, who has since been disbarred, was first arrested in November 2015 accused of using force or coercing at least nine female clients into prostitution. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. This latest indictment marks the fifth open case against him, including two charges of sexual assault of a child, one charge of sexual assault, and two charges of continuous trafficking of persons. 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Steege said he saw a dramatic change in Benavides, from arrogant and entitled when they first met, to humble and treatable. Paul Venema (@PaulVenema12) March 27 . He is now treatable.. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. 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. SAN ANTONIO Former attorney Mark Benavides has been sentenced to 80 years for six counts of continuing trafficking of persons. I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. Its an understatement to call it cheating if its a criminal act, Norton said. Since then, the Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed evidence in the case and identified more than 50 women he represented and whose cases may have been tainted. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. One of thevideos was so graphic that a female juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. She said they would go to a motel in San Antonio, where he told her what to do sexually while recording the encounter. Mark married Olivia Perez on month day 2001, at age 30 at marriage place, Texas. Sometimes he would ask me my name, how old I was, and ask, What are you going to do? She would reply, I'm going to (expletive) my lawyer.. Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Woman's University at Denton in 1985. This jury understood that.. More: Urestis wife files for divorce following salacious trial. Detectives recovered 246 mini DVDs containing hundreds of videos in which he was seen directing the women during often violent sex. Benavides told her she had to plead guilty to stay out of prison. She had been a passenger in a car when police found marijuana during a traffic stop and no one claimed it. Mark A Benavides, born Circa 1971 Mark A Benavides was born circa 1971. He threatened that if they did not, he would withhold legal services, sabotage their cases and make sure they went to prison. 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. Benavides is being tried in. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. Benavides gave her his card. Benavides, 50, was convicted in 2018 of six counts of human trafficking and coercing his clients to have sex with him. He wasnt playing around. Uresti divorce: A week after state Sen. Carlos Urestis conviction in a salacious trial that included vivid testimony about him carrying on an extramarital relationship, his wife filed for divorce. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. More: S.A. teen who refused arranged marriage suffered 6 months of beatings, search warrant shows. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Defense expert Mark Steege, a sex therapist who testified he has treated hundreds of sex offenders in 35 years, said he evaluated Benavides in April 2017. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. 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. Bendavid was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a Belgian-born mother and a Moroccan-Jewish father. }] AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new. Benavides, a former San Antonio lawyer, was convicted Tuesday of trafficking and having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. To a motel in San Antonio, where the trial was heard is a San Antonio lawyer, convicted. 2015, charged with driving under the influence, and ask, what are going., search warrant shows phase of the trial of mark Benavides in Floresville, where trial! 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