Judge schedules bench trial continuation after SAPD officer testifies, state exhibits admitted

Judge Stephanie Boyd of the 187th District Court accepted a jury-waiver, admitted two state video exhibits and set a continuation of the bench trial in State v. Carlos Vasquez Saldana (case no. 2025CR003338) for Friday at 9:15 a.m.

The bench trial record shows the defendant pleaded not guilty and the court found he had “knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to jury trial,” after which the state called San Antonio Police Department patrol Officer Johnston to testify about a traffic stop and an evidence search. "I located a glass pipe. Through my training experience, I know that to be used for narcotics," Johnston testified, and said she also found two small plastic baggies with a white powdery substance.

The testimony and exhibits: Why it matters The judge admitted state exhibits 1 and 2 — the patrol vehicle camera and a body-worn camera — into evidence without objection. The video excerpts were played in court and the officer described the sequence: she ran the vehicle’s license plate, observed the registration had expired, turned on overhead lights, followed the vehicle until it stopped and then had the driver step out for officer safety. Johnston said a Spanish-speaking officer, Officer Garza, assisted with translation; the defendant speaks only Spanish.

What the state said and what defense contested Johnston testified the stop occurred at the intersection of Fredericksburg and Flores in San Antonio and that the vehicle was a black Dodge Challenger whose registration had expired in February 2023. She testified that during the stop she observed movements by the driver toward the passenger side and glove box, placed the driver in handcuffs and searched the person and vehicle. On the driver’s person she said she found a glass pipe with what she described as narcotic residue and two small baggies; she gave a preliminary weight of 0.7 grams for the bagged substance. The vehicle was towed and impounded.

Defense counsel cross-examined Johnston at length about the circumstances giving rise to the search, questioning whether visible driving violations or evasive maneuvers justified removing the driver and searching the vehicle. The questioning focused on the distance between the patrol car and the stopped vehicle, visibility through tinted glass at night, and exactly where the officer observed movement inside the car. Johnston acknowledged she did not speak Spanish and that Officer Garza provided translation.

Court rulings and scheduling During the hearing the court admitted the two video exhibits and allowed the state to publish them to the record. The court ordered the officer to remain subject to recall. The judge set the trial to resume on Friday at 9:15 a.m.

Case and procedure details The docket identifies the case as 2025CR003338, State v. Carlos Vasquez Saldana. The charging language discussed on the record describes an allegation of possession of a controlled substance (less than 1 gram) — the exact statutory citation was not specified on the record. Counsel discussed discovery and an application for community supervision during preliminary matters. The witness was excused subject to recall and both sides were told to be prepared to continue on the scheduled date.

What was not resolved The transcript shows the parties agreed on admission of the camera recordings but the factual disputes over the stop and the scope of the search were undercut by cross-examination and were not resolved at the hearing. The court did not make a factual finding about whether the search was lawful; it simply admitted the exhibits and continued the bench trial.

The trial will resume on Friday at 9:15 a.m.; the court record shows the witness remains available for recall.