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Jury Selection Nears in Trial of Former Uvalde School Officer on 29 Child Endangerment Counts

Prosecutors face a rare test of criminal liability for police inaction.

Overview

  • Jury selection begins Monday at the Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi after a change of venue from Uvalde.
  • Adrian Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts alleging he abandoned or endangered children during the response to the May 2022 attack that killed 19 students and two teachers.
  • Defense attorneys say Gonzales moved toward the threat and plan to argue that poor performance does not constitute a crime.
  • Legal experts say such prosecutions are uncommon and predict arguments will turn on duties of care and whether inaction can be charged as child endangerment.
  • A police-training expert calls the response inept yet not necessarily criminal and urges revisions to active-shooter training, as victims’ families prepare to attend the proceedings.