State drops deadly‑weapon allegation as trial proceeds in case of 3‑month‑old who suffered brain injuries

The Criminal District Court of Jefferson County heard testimony and legal arguments Thursday in the case of the State of Texas v. Austin Robert Jones (cause number 240094), in which prosecutors allege the defendant intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused serious bodily injury to 3‑month‑old Palmer Jones by shaking her.

Prosecutors told the court they would “abandon the deadly weapon language” in the indictment and proceed only on the allegation of causing serious bodily injury, a change the judge allowed during a pre‑trial exchange before jurors were brought into the courtroom. State's Attorney Mister Hoffpower said the office would “orally amend at this time the indictment and take out some language” and later said, “Abandon the deadly weapon language.” Defense counsel Mister Gertz reserved prior objections to the indictment and told the court he was not waiving any issues previously raised.

Why it matters: medical witnesses and family members described severe injuries that prosecutors say show abusive head trauma — injuries that left the infant seizing and required life‑flight transfer to Texas Children’s Hospital. Defense attorneys told jurors they will press alternative explanations and highlighted disagreements within medicine about whether certain injury patterns are uniquely caused by shaking.

What prosecutors say: In opening statements Assistant State's Attorney Hoffpower told the jury the evidence…