Lawmaker questions Travis County DA after untimely indictment for murder suspect
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Democratic Texas lawmaker is now asking questions to the Travis County District Attorney's office after a murder suspect bonded out of jail for $100.
Stephon Morson, accused in an October 2024 murder on Burton Drive in southeast Austin, is back in custody after a judge moved to increase his bond last week.
Morson's bond was originally set at $800,000, but a judge lowered it to $100, according to court records. This happened because prosecutors failed to meet a court deadline.
Court documents show the $799,900 bond reduction for Morson occurred because the state did not secure an indictment for him within 90 days.
2 murder suspects released after missed indictment deadlines, an explanation
According to records filed by Morson's attorney Brian Erskine, 'bail must be reduced to something the defendant can afford,' when this happens. Prosecutors secured an indictment on the 91st day.
Following this case, Sen. Sarah Eckhardt's office says she is now looking into how Travis County DA Jose Garza and his office are handling cases.
Eckhardt's office sent KXAN this statement:
'Senator Eckhardt—who previously served as the Assistant Travis County Attorney for eight years—has been in touch with the District Attorney about the reports emerging from his office. She has sought clarity about the number of times deadlines have been missed, as well as wanting to know how the district attorney plans to remedy the issue moving forward. She continues to gather information about this situation, but in her talks with the District Attorney, and other stakeholders, concerns about fairness, integrity, and public accountability have not been resolved.'
KXAN reached out to the Travis County District Attorney's office for comment, but at this time we have not heard back.
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