Judge Stephanie Boyd handles pleas, probation terms and referrals in multi-case docket; veterans and drug-court referrals ordered

Judge Stephanie Boyd convened the 187th District Court docket on Jan. 27, hearing a mix of plea deadlines, probation compliance hearings and sentencing matters that produced several deferred-adjudication orders, jail sentences and program referrals.

Most immediately consequential, the court accepted plea agreements and made sentencing decisions or set sentencing for a number of defendants, and ordered treatment- and supervision-related referrals intended to keep people engaged in treatment rather than incarcerated when the record and plea agreements allowed.

Among the outcomes: Amanda Drummond was placed on deferred adjudication probation with treatment requirements; Waverly Whitlock’s plea of true on a supervision violation led to adjudication and a 180‑day Bexar County jail term under the parties’ agreement; Leslie Myers was found true on a violation that carried an affirmative family‑violence finding and the court announced a custodial sentence range; and Christopher Morrison was given a probationary disposition with transfer and referral to a veterans treatment court.

The court session also included routine docket management: numerous cases were reset for plea‑deadline dates or for further work on discovery; the judge reminded attorneys about courtroom procedures and alerted the bar that a portrait unveiling and retirement event for Judge Carruthers would affect the calendar midweek.

Key case outcomes and directions

Amanda Drummond — possession (penalty group 1, 1–4 grams): Judge Boyd accepted a plea that carried a recommendation of deferred adjudication and ordered a TAP evaluation before sentencing. The court placed Drummond on deferred adjudication probation for six years, ordered regular reporting (monthly to start), random UAs, field visits once per month, 120 sober meetings in the first 120 days after release, and a referral to felony drug court; the judge directed probation to follow the TAP evaluation recommendations and to seek residential or other programming if felony drug court funding or placement was not available. The court also ordered employment verification within 45 days and set community‑service and parenting‑class criteria that could reduce service hours if completed.

Waverly Whitlock — violation of community supervision (possession, <1 gram): The state alleged missed reporting for July–September 2024 (condition 4). Whitlock pleaded true; the court found the violation true, adjudicated guilt, revoked community supervision and—pursuant to the parties’ agreement—sentenced her to 180 days in the Bexar County Jail. The court included a restitution placeholder for a named victim (Zachary Watson) “if any.” The transcript records an affirmative finding of the court related to the violation and the sentence imposed.

Leslie Myers — alleged violation (condition 24b; family violence): The court found violation 24b true after the complainant testified. The court entered an adjudication, granted the state’s motion and issued an affirmative family‑violence finding. In open court the judge said the matter would be sentenced with custody exposure, stating a custodial range on the record; the judge also requested therapeutic‑community placement for the defendant. (Transcript: the judge described a 2–4‑year custody range in remarks in court.)

Christopher Morrison — post‑trial disposition and veterans treatment referral: Morrison, who was found guilty at trial, will receive a noncustodial, supervisory disposition tied to veterans treatment. The court set the underlying sentence at 1 year, suspended it and probated supervision for 18 months. The court authorized transfer of supervision to the county where Morrison now participates in VA care (Perry County, Indiana), ordered continued VA treatment, regular reporting by Zoom or in person, random UAs, anger‑management programming, 100 hours of community service (subject to possible substitution if the court later determines education counts), proof of employment or school enrollment within 45 days, and an explicit prohibition on firearm possession during the term of probation. The court also directed a referral to the veterans treatment court identified by the defense and treatment contacts supplied to the court.

Michael Vasquez — evading arrest (state‑jail felony): The court accepted stipulations of evidence, found Vasquez guilty and sentenced him to 6 months in the Bexar County Jail under the statutory citation reflected in the plea (the transcript cites ‘‘1244’’ in connection with the local custodial condition). The judge credited any time already served.

Adalia Saabs — theft (state‑jail felony with enhancements): Saabs entered a plea and, after the court accepted the plea paperwork, was sentenced to 180 days in the Bexar County Jail under the plea agreement; the court advised her of the waiver of appellate rights and noted community resources for mental‑health and substance‑use treatment when appropriate.

Cases continued, reset or set for further evaluation: Several matters were continued for discovery or for a PSI/TAP evaluation and sentencing dates in March (including the matters where the court ordered a PSI/TAP evaluation: the state will present sentencing evidence then). Examples in the transcript include Kelly Kotner and Enrique Soriano, both set for PSI and TAP evaluation with sentencing set for March 10; other dockets were reset for plea‑deadline dates or two‑week/30‑day resets so attorneys could confer about offers or obtain outstanding discovery.

Courtroom and calendar notes

Judge Boyd reminded counsel about courtroom decorum, interpreter procedure when a defendant needs one, and the requirement that attorneys confer with the state before approaching the bench. She also announced that Judge Carruthers’s portrait unveiling and retirement celebration will occur Wednesday morning, and urged attorneys to plan accordingly because that event will take precedence in the morning calendar.

Why this matters

The January docket shows the 187th District Court balancing custodial sentences and supervision outcomes with programmatic referrals—particularly veterans treatment and felony drug court—when the court finds treatment‑oriented supervision compatible with public safety and the parties’ agreements. For individuals such as Drummond and Morrison, the court used deferred adjudication, supervised probation and cross‑jurisdictional referral to VA‑linked programs as alternatives to immediate incarceration. For defendants whose violations the court found true, the record shows the court proceeded to adjudication and custody when the parties’ plea agreements or the nature of the violations led there.

What to watch next

The court set multiple PSI/TAP evaluations and sentencing hearings for March 10; the earlier outcomes and any new probation reports or treatment‑court placements will inform whether the court follows plea recommendations or imposes different sentences. Attorneys in pending dockets were told to file required motions promptly and to be prepared with witnesses when the plea deadline or reset form requires it.

Sources and provenance

This summary is based on the court transcript of the Jan. 27 docket call and calendar session in the 187th District Court, presided over by Judge Stephanie Boyd. Excerpts and time references in the record were used to identify first mention of the docket call and the last hearing before the lunch recess.