Mark Benavides (left) sits beside defense attorney Liza Rodriguez during his trial in the Wilson County District Court and Justice Center in Floresville on Thursday. FLORESVILLE The wife of a former San Antonio attorney convicted of having sex with clients in exchange for legal services asked jurors here who will decide his punishment to be fair, because he does not deserve this.. "I'm so sorry. She claims he forced her to have anal sex. Calling him a master manipulator and liar, prosecutors had asked the jury to send Benavides to life in prison for having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. He cheated. Since then, the Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed evidence in the case and identified more than 50 women he represented and whose cases may have been tainted. Benavideswill get credit for the days he has already served. Mark Henry Benavides will have to serve at least 30 years before he is eligible for parole. San Antonio teen beating: A San Antonio 16-year-old who refused an arranged marriage endured six months of beatings at the hands of her parents before running away from her San Antonio home, according to court documents. But hes a good person. Benavidesapologized Thursday and asked for forgiveness as he testified. Cruz, Abbott and others react to Castro's cancer diagnosis, Rep. Joaquin Castro diagnosed with cancer, undergoes surgery, San Antonio's first car elevator is ready to start accepting cars, Buc-ees planning new travel centers in Wisconsin, Florida. The jurors were so shocked by the clip that the judge sent them out for a break. The next day, employees discovered her body missing from a damaged casket. She was convicted of the DUI charge and was sentenced to two years probation, which she completed in 2016. More: S.A. animal sacrifice was Santera practice, but was it illegal? Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. To read more from Elizabeth, become a subscriber. Linda Benavides, Mark's wife, testified on Friday morning and asked the jury to "please be fair." She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still. Mark Henry Benavides was immediately taken into custody Tuesday night in Floresville, where the trial was heard. Lopez was found guilty of the murder by the jury on June 5, 2018 and struggled against deputies moments after being convicted of the 2014 killing of Menchaca. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. The San Antonio attorney is accused of coercing clients into having sex with him in exchange for money or legal services. Calling him a master manipulator and liar, prosecutors had asked the jury to send Benavides to life in prison for having sex with clients in exchange for legal services. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. She agreed to tell her story on the condition that she not be . Under cross-examination, Norton asked Steege whether he reviewed police reports and videos Benavides took of sexual encounters with his clients. When Norton asked if he saw a change in Benavides from his testimony, Steege said he did. The victim responded, I started caring for him as a person because I didnt have anybody at the time. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. More: Man accused in death of trans woman wont face trial. Benavides is being tried in Wilson County on a change of venue from Bexar County because of intense media coverage. This is a carousel. Mark Henry Benavides, 48, broke down in tears on Friday as he heard the sentence and mouthed 'I love you' to his wife, who is still staying with him A former San Antonio attorney has been. He's covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area, and is the lead reporter for KSAT Explains. Marisol Morales, a case manager at the Public Defenders Office, has been working with the two women and others Benavides abused. Anyone who feels they were forced to take a plea deal by Benavides is urged to contact the Bexar County Public Defenders Office at 210-504-6216. Benavides wife, Linda, took the stand on Friday and asked the jury to please be fair.. Mark A Benavides, born Circa 1971 Mark A Benavides was born circa 1971. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 and charged with compelling prostitution in cases involving at least nine female clients. Rory Tingle For Dailymail.com More: Death penalty testimony paints violent portrait of officers killer. I saw a humbled man rather than an arrogant man, he said. She said Benavides told her to say 'bye' to the camera after they finished. Salacious Uresti testimony: Denise Cantu, a Harlingen woman whom Uresti helped obtain a $2.5 million legal settlement over the deaths of two of her children in a 2010 vehicle wreck, told jurors that the lawmaker became her financial adviser, confidante, friend and eventually lover. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." So far, two women represented by Benavides have had their convictions overturned and their records expunged. One of thevideos was so graphic that a female juror fainted as the panel left the courtroom last week. At the end, she said, he would ask her to say bye to the camera. Six months later, she was charged with driving under the influence, and she hired him to represent her. Their accounts paint a harrowing picture of how the justice system went awry in their cases. He is now treatable.. Linda Benavides said that although he was unfaithful, she didn't leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. Fridays ruling came amid a highly publicized trial that had to be moved to Floresville at the request of Benavides attorneys, who claimed that the case received too much publicity in San Antonio for him to get a fair trial. Mark Benavides looks back at his wife and parents Friday as he is escorted out of the courtroom after being sentenced to 80 years for continuous trafficking of persons. When she pushed back, he was true to his word. Benavides sentenced to 80 years for coercing clients into . But he's a good person. Copyright 2020 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Double murder-suicide:Hailey Reyes and her father (left) were gunned down by her estranged uncle, Elijah Jared Stone, on May 12 in an incident police called a "double murder-suicide." "I'm so sorry. "Theres others out there, I know. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, HOKA dropped a brand new version of their most popular shoe, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase. Linda Benavides (front), who is the wife of Mark Benavides, and his mother, Olga Benavides, are emotional after he was given 80 years after being convicted for continuous trafficking of persons on Friday. He lied to you, sitting here. In this2018 file photo he sits in Judge Dick Alcalas courtroom to address his other pending pending cases. Reyes survived for two weeks before being pronounced dead. Public Defender Michael Young is working with the Bexar County District Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit to review hundreds of Benavides cases with an eye toward overturning unfair convictions. Hes a lawyer running for judge!, She remembers him saying, If you arent going to play the way I want you to play with me, Im not going to help you.. She was incredulous. Prosecutors said Benavides' conviction has tainted some 5,000 cases and convictions he was involved in. Benavides was sentenced to 80 years in prison on each of the six counts of continuous trafficking of persons against him. He is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. Earlier, his wife told the jury deciding his punishment to be fair because he does not deserve this.. The victim in the video is a 29-year-old woman testifying for the state. A member of the jury collapsed after watching some of the images on the first day of the trial. You can see RJ regularly on KSAT Explains and Good Morning San Antonio. And so, I think its hard to know how many women out there were subjected to this kind of undue influence, Young said. Prosecutor Meredith Chacon said although the state wanted for the judge to stack the sentences and have them run one right after the other, they decided to withdraw that motion at this time. Marvin Pfeiffer /For the San Antonio Express-News. In her closing argument, defense attorney Liza Rodriguez said Benavides is not the person jurors saw only in the snippets of video the state put together for them to watch. Before Benavides was taken away, the judge increased his bail to $150,000 on each of the remaining four cases pending against him. Officials said the women were. Jurors were shown a video recorded by one of Benavides alleged victims showing a violent sexual . He paid more attention, we spent a lot more time with the kids, Benavides said. I felt like he wasnt even trying to help me anymore, but I already had given him $3,000 and I couldnt afford another lawyer, she said. Cop killer trial: Shaun Puente was found guilty on March 21, 2018 for fatally shooting San Antonio Police Department Officer Robert Deckard during a highway chase in Atascosa County on Dec. 8, 2013 that started after Puente, according to witnesses, committed two armed robberies in San Antonio. She is heard stating, Mark, it hurts! A Texas jury sentenced former San Antonio lawyer Mark Benavides to 80 years in prison April 6 for coercing clients to have sex with him in exchange for legal services. Its worth life, ladies and gentlemen, Chacon said in her closing argument. More: Jury find woman who killed nephew guilty of murder, Ronald Cortes, for the San Antonio Express News, Marvin Pfeiffer, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, More: Jury'sguilty verdict sends convicted killer into frenzy in San Antonio courtroom, William Luther, Staff / San Antonio Express-News, psychologist at upscale apartment complex near downtown, Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News. Mark is married to his wife, Linda Benavides, and they have two kids together. When you drill down deeper and what weve seen in the cases, its actually extortion, said lead Bexar County Public Defender Michael Young. He said he made amends to his family, and what does his wife tell you? Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt, she said. Before the state and defense rested their cases, Linda Benavides told the jury Friday morning that although he was unfaithful, she didnt leave her husband of nearly 11 years after his arrest because she supports him. Several of clients claimed that Benavides promised them he'd help them, and even get the cases thrown out altogether if they slept with him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Benavides filmed videos of the violent sexual encounters, one of which was so graphic that a female juror fainted after viewing it in court. He would require her to say bye at the end to the camera. He transported, coerced, threatened and made them feel they had no choice. }] Former attorney Mark Benavides was in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing. Cayley Mandadi, a Trinity University cheerleader, died on Oct. 31, 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston. Mark Steege, a sex therapist, testifies Friday during the punishment phase of the trial of Mark Benavides in Floresville. She said she knew Benavides cheated, but said the couple have two children and she still supported him. Man cleared in River Walk death: A judge issued a ruling Thursday, March 8, 2018, that prevented a manslaughter trial of Mark Daniel Lewis (left), accused of causing transgender woman Kenne McFadden to drown along the River Walk last year. He eventually started asking me for small stuff, meet up for lunch, stuff like that, the woman said. He cheated. Who does that? she asked. Everyone in the car was charged with drug possession. Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. The Express-News generally does not identify victims of sexual assault. Dismemberment trial: The murder trial of Gabriel Moreno, accused of killing Jose Luis Menchaca, began on Feb. 26, 2018. Uresti conviction: Texas State Sen. Carlos Uresti was convicted on all 11 counts in his five-week criminal fraud trial ending Feb. 22, 2018. She has been excused from the trial and an alternate was put in her place. This is a carousel. His kids love him so much,' she told the jury while crying. Prosecutors said rather than tack on more prison time for Benavides, who is eligible for parole in about 28 years, theyre more interested in making sure the clients he represented are receiving due justice for their cases. Its not fair for them to live in any kind of guilt. Elizabeth Zavala is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Jurors also viewed a separate DVD of Benavides trying to get his brother to destroy sex videos at his home as the investigation was underway. Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Both told their stories to the Express-News, on condition their names not be published. Due to the large amounts of publicity surrounding the case, the trial was moved from Bexar County to Wilson County. Benavides is accused of having sex with his clients in exchange for legal services. Benavides was arrested in November 2015 while he was running for Bexar County District judge, and was indicted in April 2016. A witness described the crime scene as a "horror move" in testimony. When questioned by prosecutor Jay Norton about whether she thought her husband had committed a crime she replied: 'I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news. 'Mark, it hurts!' Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons and faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison. Its worth life, ladies and gentlemen, Chacon said in her closing argument. Mark Howerton, the victims boyfriend of four weeks, was jailed on Feb. 28, 2018, facing charges of murder and sexual assault. His kids love him so much, she told the jury through tears. Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role. | ezavala@express-news.net | @elizabeth2863, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. }] Born and reared in San Antonio, she graduated from Fox Tech High School in 1981 and has been a newspaper journalist since she graduated from Texas Woman's University at Denton in 1985. Mark Henry Benavides was convicted Tuesday of continuous trafficking of persons for having sex with clients he represented on prostitution or drug cases. Steege said he had not. Benavides admission of the DVDs' existencewas recorded at police headquarters in November 2015, when detectives interviewed him. I am not aware of what has happened, except what I heard on the news, she said. "I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum," Benavides said while crying. What I saw yesterday (Benavides testimony), was a totally different man. I'm unaware, other than what's on the news.. 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