Resident tells council an Irving police policy violates Code of Criminal Procedure and seeks investigation after man found unconscious

Laura Anderson, a resident and former local judge's ally, urged the Irving City Council on May 1 to investigate what she described as an "unlawful police policy" instituted May 1, 2024 that she said prevents arrested people from being brought promptly before a magistrate.

"This new policy prohibits the detention officers from bringing anyone charged with the Dallas County charge before the magistrate and instead requires holding those arrested without the ability to bail until they are transferred to Dallas County," Anderson said, citing Article 15.17 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. She said the practice has forced transfers to Dallas County and has placed an "overwhelming burden" on Dallas County taxpayers.

Anderson described a case she said illustrated the consequences of the practice: a 32‑year‑old Irving resident and 2010 Nimitz High School graduate, Patrick Jones, was arrested on two misdemeanors on March 10, 2025, and — she said — was not seen by a magistrate in Irving. He was later found unconscious more than 24 hours after his arrest. "Could seeing a magistrate the morning of March 10 have saved his life? We will never know," she said. Anderson said the autopsy was pending.

Anderson also asked the council to investigate the city's judicial selection process that she said led to the non‑reappointment of Judge Adams. She said she first raised the policy a year earlier and that she had written to the police chief and the city attorney about the issue.

Council members did not deliberate during the public comment period; the city secretary reminded speakers that the Texas Open Meetings Act limits council responses during public comment. The meeting record does not show an on‑the‑record response from the mayor or council to Anderson's request for an investigation.