BEXAR COUNTY, Texas \u2013 Nearly nine out of every 10 eligible Bexar County cases involving a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member were dismissed during the first six months of 2026, according to a KSAT analysis of court data.<\/p>\n
The finding comes after several domestic violence-related murder-suicides this summer involving alleged abusers who had previously faced family violence charges.<\/p>\n
Over a three-week period, four domestic violence-related murder-suicides were reported. Two of the men, Robert James Rennie and Albert Richter, had previously been charged with misdemeanor family violence. Both of those cases were dismissed.<\/p>\n
KSAT initially obtained dismissal figures from the Bexar County District Attorney\u2019s Office in July. The office told KSAT the numbers were incorrect and contacted the station to discuss how the figures were calculated.<\/p>\n
KSAT then went back to the underlying court data and requested information dating back to 2021.<\/p>\n
The analysis focused specifically on the charge of misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury to a family member. After accounting for duplicate entries and looking at cases with qualifying dispositions, KSAT found the dismissal rate has increased significantly in recent years.<\/p>\n
In 2024, about 71% of eligible cases were dismissed.<\/p>\n
That increased to about 86% in 2025.<\/p>\n
During the first six months of 2026, 1,840 of 2,062 eligible unique cases had qualifying dismissals \u2014 about 89.2%.<\/p>\n
That means about 222 cases, or 10.8%, were not dismissed.<\/p>\n
The data does not represent every domestic violence case prosecuted by the Bexar County District Attorney\u2019s Office. It represents the specific misdemeanor offense included in KSAT\u2019s analysis.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office challenges the numbers<\/p>\n
The dismissal data was shared with the DA\u2019s office on Aug. 20.<\/p>\n
Four days later, the office asked KSAT to explain how the figures were calculated. KSAT provided the data used in the analysis along with an explanation of the process.<\/p>\n
After KSAT provided the data and an explanation of how the figures were calculated, the DA\u2019s office identified several categories of dispositions it said should not be included in the dismissal count.<\/p>\n
Among those were cases labeled as \u201cPre-File,\u201d which the office said are rejections rather than dismissals because charges had not yet been formally filed in court.<\/p>\n
The office also pointed to several other categories, including certain deferred adjudication outcomes and speedy-trial dismissals.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office said some deferred adjudication cases should not be considered dismissals because a defendant had pleaded guilty or no contest and was placed on community supervision. In those cases, the court \u2014 rather than the DA\u2019s office \u2014 handles the supervision and can revoke it if the defendant violates the conditions.<\/p>\n
The office also said speedy-trial dismissals are granted by a judge, typically at the request of the defendant\u2019s attorney, rather than being dismissals initiated by prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Other categories identified by the office included certain court-ordered verdicts and cases rejected before formal filing.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office said these distinctions could affect the accuracy of KSAT\u2019s dismissal rate, but did not provide alternative figures to support their claim.<\/p>\n
The numbers don\u2019t tell the whole story<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office also emphasized that the analysis covers only one offense.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we understand you are solely focused on the \u2018assault causes bodily injury family member\u2019 offense, it does not paint the full picture of the overall caseload of the Family Violence Division,\u201d the office said.<\/p>\n
The office said there are several offenses that can represent domestic violence cases and described family violence cases as among the most complicated for prosecutors because of the emotional and unique circumstances involved.<\/p>\n
The office said those challenges are not unique to Bexar County and are seen in communities across the country.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office encouraged domestic violence victims to report incidents and participate in the legal process.<\/p>\n
The office also said KSAT\u2019s analysis focuses on only one of several offenses that can make up the Family Violence Division\u2019s caseload.<\/p>\n
Changes inside the Family Violence Division<\/p>\n
The scrutiny of the dismissal numbers comes as there has also been a change in leadership within the DA\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Family Violence Division Chief Angelica Meli Powers resigned from the office.<\/p>\n
Former Civil Rights Division Chief Daryl Harris was promoted to lead the Family Violence Division.<\/p>\n
KSAT has requested an in-person interview with the DA\u2019s office about the dismissal data.<\/p>\n
KSAT has also requested dismissal numbers for felony family violence cases. That request remains outstanding.<\/p>\n
The DA\u2019s office did not provide additional numbers before publication.<\/p>\n
KSAT will continue reporting on the dismissal rates and is seeking answers about why so many eligible misdemeanor family violence cases are being dismissed.<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources<\/a> on its Domestic Violence webpage<\/a>, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.<\/p>\n Survivors in unincorporated Bexar County who are not in current emergencies can fill out an online form<\/a> to get in touch with STAR specialists.<\/p>\n Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.<\/p>\n For wrap-around services, including the Battered Women and Children\u2019s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services <\/a>at (210) 733-8810.<\/p>\n