Judge Boyd allows in-court fingerprinting and photographs, admits surveillance screenshot in State v. Luis Beltran

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — During proceedings in the 187th Judicial District Court on the case identified in the transcript as 2024 CR 4295, Judge Stephanie Boyd granted the state's requests to fingerprint and photograph the defendant in court and admitted a surveillance still offered by the prosecution. The state also called and questioned a store employee, Sharon Martinez, who described a robbery at Sugarleaf Smoke Shop on Aug. 4, 2023.

The ruling matters because the fingerprinting and photographs were authorized to aid identification, and the court admitted a blown-up screenshot from store surveillance that the defense had objected to on grounds of chain of custody and alteration. Prosecutors told the court they had found latent prints linked to the defendant and that clearer photos were needed to document identifying marks prosecutors say were visible on the defendant at the time of the offense.

Judge Stephanie Boyd opened the docket by calling the matter, saying, "The court is calling 2024 c r 4295 state versus Luis Beltran. Can I have parties announce?" She later stated for the record, "So the court will note for the record that it's agreed that he is to be…