252nd District Court delivers multiple guilty pleas and sentences during morning docket

Presiding Judge of the 252nd District Court oversaw a busy criminal docket that produced multiple pleas, sentencing rulings and continuances on cases involving theft, burglary, aggravated assault, probation revocations and related matters.

The court handed down prison terms in several cases, imposed deferred adjudications in others and reset multiple matters for sentencing or trial. Many decisions reflected plea agreements signed in court; several matters were continued for pre‑sentence reports or further negotiation.

Key outcomes included: the judge sentencing Justin Livingston to concurrent 10‑year terms in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after finding him guilty of credit/debit card abuse and burglary of a habitation; a 9‑month Jefferson County jail sentence for Benjamin Shumate after a finding of true on a probation revocation charge; and multi‑year Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) sentences for other defendants. In other cases the court accepted guilty pleas and set sentencing dates or required probation reports before imposing punishment.

Sentences and court actions (selected)

- Justin Livingston: The court found Livingston guilty of credit/debit card abuse (third‑degree) and burglary of habitation (second‑degree) and sentenced him to 10 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on each count, to run concurrently. The judge said she would sign dismissals in related matters and handed Livingston trial‑court certifications and a written admonishment about ineligibility to possess firearms under Texas law.

- Benjamin Shumate: After the state offered certified judgments from Galveston County, the court found two counts true and sentenced Shumate to nine months in the Jefferson County Jail for an evading arrest or detention lesser‑included offense.

- Jacob Cozad: Cozad entered a guilty plea to assault on a peace officer (second‑degree). The court accepted the plea and sentenced him to 4 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in accordance with the agreement.

- John Kenneth Banks: Banks pleaded guilty to a state‑jail felony possession charge and the court accepted the plea; sentencing was reset so the probation department could prepare a pre‑sentence report. The plea agreement included a cap of 8 years, the court said.

- Frank Vega: The court accepted open pleas in two cases (possession of a controlled substance and theft of property), found Vega not appropriate for probation and sentenced him to 5 years (possession) and 7 years (theft), to run concurrently, in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

- Alejandro Uribe: The court deferred adjudication and placed Uribe on five years of probation with a $1,000 fine as part of the agreed disposition for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, noting an ICE hold and that federal proceedings could affect custody.

- Jose Gillen Perez: The court deferred adjudication and placed Perez on ten years' probation, ordered a $500 fine, a mental‑health assessment, and strict no‑contact conditions; the judge warned that violation could lead to a sentence up to 20 years.

- Trevor Duane Edwards: The court accepted Edwards’ guilty plea to burglary of a building (state‑jail felony) and sentenced him to 15 months in state jail per the plea agreement.

- Demetrius Miles: The court accepted Miles’ guilty plea to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (second‑degree) and sentenced him to 10 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, making an affirmative deadly‑weapon finding.

- Demario (Demario) Flucas: The court accepted the plea to burglary of a habitation and sentenced him to 7 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

- Joseph Tardy: After the court found multiple violations true, it revoked probation and sentenced Tardy to 10 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for evading detention with a motor vehicle.

- Jimmy Taylor: The court found Taylor’s probation violations true, revoked probation and sentenced him to 12 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for theft of property with prior convictions.

Other docket actions

- Several defendants had cases reset for further discovery, competency documentation, or pre‑sentence reports (including John Kenneth Banks, David Tillman and others). The court took judicial notice of files where competency restoration or recent dispositions had been documented and adjusted scheduling accordingly.

- Several defendants were set for trial next week or were renumbered for trial (Daniel Noble, Vonzell Hall, David Tillman and others). The judge repeatedly told defense counsel that plea offers would not be accepted after today in certain cases and that defendants must decide before trial scheduling.

Why this matters

The decisions affect individual liberty, probation supervision and county custody resources. The court’s rulings — in particular multiple multi‑year TDCJ commitments and several probation revocations — reflect how the 252nd District Court is processing repeat‑offender files and cases involving interjurisdictional criminal history. Several outcomes also carry collateral consequences the judge emphasized in open court, including loss of the right to possess firearms under Texas law and the potential for federal custody or immigration consequences where ICE holds were noted.

Quotes from the record

- On sentencing Justin Livingston, the Presiding Judge said: “I’m going to find sufficient evidence to find you guilty and at this time find you guilty of credit debit card abuse. Sentence you to a term of 10 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.”

- On probation revocation for Joseph Tardy, the Presiding Judge said: “Find sufficient evidence to revoke your probation ... I’m gonna sentence you to a term of 10 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.”

- Addressing defendants generally, the Presiding Judge repeatedly admonished that probation terms and the consequences of plea agreements are final once the court follows an agreement and that defendants may lose firearm rights: “Because of the judgments entered against you, you are ineligible under Texas law to possess a firearm or ammunition.”

Ending

The court continued to work through a large criminal docket with multiple pleas, sentences and resets; several defendants were set for trial next week and some matters were continued to allow counsel to obtain evidence or for the probation officer to prepare reports. The court’s written minutes and docket entries will reflect the precise charges, sentence lengths, credit for time served and any dismissals the judge ordered in each case.