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Judge seeks guardian-ad-litem, therapist input before deciding on Ryan Martinezs visitation request
Summary
In a hearing on July 17, defense asked the court to reinstate supervised visitation for Ryan Martinez; the court heard testimony from the CPS-appointed attorney and ordered further evidence and a discovery timetable before ruling.
A county court heard arguments on July 17 over a defense motion asking the court to reinstate supervised visitation for Ryan Martinez, whose access to his children was cut off after he was indicted in February. The judge set a 60-day discovery deadline and asked the parties to arrange follow-up testimony from the children's guardian ad litem, the visitation monitor and a therapist before deciding whether to modify bond conditions.
Rosie Reyes, the court-appointed attorney in the CPS matter, testified that supervised visits had been weekly in San Antonio and twice monthly in Killeen, and that the monitors' reports were uniformly positive. "He is exemplary when it comes to his visitation with his children," Reyes told the court, describing consistent compliance with visitation rules and no prior monitor complaints. Reyes said the youngest child had significant medical needs and had been placed with a relative after being cared for in Killeen by a foster parent with nursing experience.
Defense counsel asked that the court reinstate the defendant's prior supervised visitation schedule from the period before the current indictment. The defense said CPS staff and the caseworker, identified in court as Lisa Gaines Brooks, do not currently seek to terminate parental rights and that the agency's prevailing goal is family reunification. The judge noted, however, that a prior conviction for injury to a child exists in the defendant's background and said she wanted to review stipulations from that earlier case before ruling.
The judge directed parties to coordinate dates for testimony by the guardian ad litem and an independent therapist or visitation supervisor, allowed witnesses to appear by Zoom if needed, and asked the defense to provide certified monitor notes for review. She set a discovery date in 60 days and a calendar date of September 24 for related proceedings. The motion to change bond and visitation remains pending while the court gathers the requested evidence.
