José Garza did not attend Texas House hearing on his office’s record

“This is part of the problem of y’all hiding the weenie, so nobody knows what’s going on, and then you wonder what all this hubbub is about,” State Rep. Richard Hayes said during a 12-hour Texas House Committee on Governmental Oversight hearing. The Travis County district attorney’s office drew intense scrutiny at the Capitol Wednesday, but District Attorney José Garza did not attend the proceedings.

Travis County Prosecutors Defend Case Rejections at State Hearing

State officials have long accused so-called rogue prosecutors of failing to investigate and try cases under the letter of the law, singling out Garza specifically. Garza ran on a progressive platform centered on reducing jail stays in Travis County and prosecuting police for misconduct. State leaders, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker, publicly called out the district attorney ahead of the Wednesday session, prompting committee invitations for the local prosecutor.

Stephanie Gharakhanian, a prosecutor serving as Garza’s proxy, read a five-page written statement to the panel to defend the office’s record. Gharakhanian argued that the district attorney’s office pursues cases whenever sufficient evidence exists to do so. “A prosecutor’s decision to reject a charge or to dismiss a case based on insufficient evidence does not mean that a prosecutor has gone ‘rogue,’” Gharakhanian said, as reported by kut.org. “It does not mean that a prosecutor is not enforcing the law. To the contrary, it means that the prosecutor is following the law.”

Lawmakers Clash Over Transparency and Public Safety Data

State Rep. Richard Hayes, a Denton Republican and former prosecutor, sharply criticized Gharakhanian and the district attorney’s office for lacking accountability toward both constituents and the oversight committee. “We need a little sunshine here. We need to open up the doors, put a little light on this issue. That’s what we’re trying to do, and all you’ve done today is hide,” Hayes told the committee.

State Rep. Richard Peña Raymond from Laredo emerged as one of the most vocal critics, clashing directly with Garza’s proxy as a fellow Democrat. Raymond detailed a personal experience where he received a death threat that he stated Travis County prosecutors chose not to investigate. “The public has a right to understand what the hell is going on,” Raymond said during a heated exchange on the dais, where he brandished a pistol he carries for self-defense stemming from the uninvestigated threat.

Gharakhanian, who does not handle violent crime cases, spent nearly two hours responding to lawmaker concerns. She highlighted that Austin’s overall violent crime rate has decreased since 2021 and noted that Garza’s office processes approximately 15,000 cases every year.

Public Testimony Highlights Ongoing Concerns Over Repeat Offenders

Scores of witnesses testified against the district attorney’s office during the 12-hour hearing, pointing to specific instances where prosecutors mishandled cases or where repeat offenders were released on bail.

Garza’s office issued a statement Thursday to kut.org maintaining that the district attorney had offered to meet individually with lawmakers and takes the committee’s concerns seriously. Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows indicated Thursday that the state plans to pursue increased legislative oversight of local prosecutors when the next legislative session convenes.

“When witnesses like District Attorney José Garza fail to attend and answer questions on public safety in their county, it is evident the work of this committee is just getting started,” Burrows said.