252nd District Court accepts guilty pleas, imposes probation and jail terms, and resets several cases

At a session of the 252nd District Court, the presiding judge accepted guilty pleas in multiple cases, issued sentences in several matters and reset others for sentencing or additional preparation.

Courtroom activity included both plea bargains the judge followed and open pleas that were taken and continued for presentence reports. The judge repeatedly ordered defendants who had made bond to try to hire private counsel and, if they could not, to consult with at least three attorneys before their next court date; failure to comply risked an increase in bond and return to custody.

Court decisions and filings announced from the bench included: Courtney Harris pleaded guilty to theft with prior convictions and, under a negotiated agreement approved by the court, was placed on a two-year deferred adjudicated probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine and to follow all conditions of probation; the judge waived a presentence report in that case and entered the…