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Court permits 124.4(b) misdemeanor disposition; Jordan Estrada receives 199 days in county jail under plea agreement
Summary
The court permitted the parties to proceed under Penal Code § 12.44(b) — converting a pending felony possession charge to a class A misdemeanor for sentencing purposes — and accepted a plea resulting in a 199‑day sentence in the Bexar County Jail under the agreed terms.
Bexar County Criminal Court granted the parties’ request to proceed under Texas Penal Code § 12.44(b) — allowing a defendant charged by felony indictment to be prosecuted and sentenced as a misdemeanor in certain circumstances — and accepted Jordan Estrada’s plea and recommended disposition.
Defense counsel and the prosecutor explained that the substance tested at 0.155 grams after lab testing, meaning the possession amount qualified as less than a gram. The court directed counsel to reflect the change in paperwork so the record indicates a misdemeanor disposition under section 12.44(b) rather than a felony conviction on the docket.
Judge Stephanie Boyd questioned Estrada to confirm he understood the rights he was waiving and that a misdemeanor conviction under 12.44(b) would still appear on his criminal history but carry misdemeanor punishment. The parties stipulated to the evidence, and the court accepted the stipulation and the plea. Sentencing followed the plea — the court ordered 199 days in the Bexar County Jail as part of the agreed disposition and indicated the judgment was satisfied as to the sentence imposed.
Defense counsel emphasized that proceeding under 12.44(b) spares the defendant from a felony on his record, which can affect housing and employment; the court thanked counsel for clarifying and took the plea with the corrected paperwork.
Ending: Judge Boyd accepted the misdemeanor disposition under section 12.44(b) and imposed a 199‑day county‑jail sentence. The plea agreement included waiver of appeal rights consistent with standard admonishments for plea bargains.
