Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Opening Statements Begin in Corpus Christi Trial of Ex-Uvalde School Officer

The case tests a rare bid to use Texas child endangerment law to hold a responding officer criminally liable for inaction during the 77-minute delay.

Overview

  • A jury of 12 with four alternates was seated in Corpus Christi after a change of venue, and the judge said the trial should last about two weeks.
  • Former school police officer Adrian Gonzales faces 29 felony counts alleging he failed to engage, distract or delay the gunman, with each count carrying up to two years in prison.
  • Prosecutors told jurors Gonzales knew the shooter’s location yet did not act, while the defense argued the scene was chaotic and he did the best he could with limited information.
  • Before openings, the judge allowed some autopsy photos on a case-by-case basis and limited courtroom language, and prosecutors signaled extensive evidence including bodycam and 911 recordings.
  • Gonzales and former schools police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers charged over the response; Arredondo’s separate case has no trial date as disputes over Border Patrol testimony persist.