A Texas choose, who has been described as “rogue” and an activist by the Houston Police Officers’ Union, stays beneath fireplace after she set bond for the second suspect charged with capital homicide within the loss of life of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda.
Choose Hilary Unger of the 248th District Legal Courtroom in Harris County set bond at $3 million for Ronnie Palmer on Thursday, in keeping with a courtroom doc shared by the Harris County Deputies’ Group (HCDO). Palmer has been in jail since July with no bond on that cost till now.
Along with the capital homicide cost, he’s additionally going through two counts of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon in Esqueda’s loss of life. Bond for these prices is about at $50,000 every.
Unger’s controversial transfer comes in the future after the opposite suspect in Esqueda’s homicide, Dremone Francis, was launched from jail after he posted the $1 million bond set in November 2024.
Choose Hilary Unger set bond at $3 million for Ronnie Palmer, who’s charged with capital homicide and aggravated assault within the loss of life of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. (JudgeHilaryUnger.com)
The HCDO criticized Unger on Wednesday when Francis was launched from jail, and got here after her once more on Thursday when she set bond for Palmer.
“If you were outraged yesterday, just wait for what Judge Hilary Unger did today. A bond was set for Ronny (sic) Palmer, who is charged with murdering Deputy Fernando Esqueda. We are now beyond outraged, this is a disgrace,” the group wrote on X.
HCDO additionally shared the courtroom doc displaying the place Unger set Palmer’s bond for the cost of capital homicide of a police officer at $3 million. Texas regulation permits for bond denial in capital homicide instances.
Although Palmer stays in jail as of Thursday, he now has the chance to submit bail and return to the streets.
Ronnie Palmer is charged with capital homicide and two counts of aggravated assault within the July 2024 homicide of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. (Harris County Sheriff)
HOUSTON POLICE UNION WARNS CITY IS ‘NOT SAFE’ AS MURDER SUSPECTS ARE LEFT ‘WALKING THE STREETS’
Following blowback from the group, a protection lawyer advised FOX 26 Houston on Thursday that Unger was not concerned in setting bond for Francis, regardless of the Houston Police Officers’ Union and the HCDO saying that she was.
“They made it very difficult for the judge because she is not the one who had set the bond,” mentioned Cheryl Irvin. “The bond was set and nobody objected to it from the district attorney’s office from the previous administration.”
Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Fernando Esqueda was shot and killed in July 2024 in an ambush assault, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez mentioned on the time. (Harris County Sheriff)
Native shops reported that the State of Texas filed for a proof-evident listening to when Francis was arrested in July 2024, which might’ve made no bond an possibility. That listening to was alleged to occur inside 10 days, however because it did not, Francis turned eligible for bond and his lawyer requested or not it’s set. It isn’t clear why the state didn’t proceed with the listening to.
“People have rights. Regardless of what you think folks have done, you still have a right. One right is the 8th amendment right to reasonable bail. And the reasonable bail was set for the codefendant, and he made the bail,” Irvin mentioned to FOX 26. “Nobody should be objected to that. He’s on house arrest and all the things the judge considered to be proper.”
Capital homicide suspect Dremone Francis was launched from jail in Harris County, Texas, on Wednesday after posting the $1 million bond set for him in November 2024. (Harris County Sheriff’s Workplace)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Unger, who’s up for re-election in 2026, is thought for letting repeat offenders out on bond and ran her election campaigns on prioritizing “alternatives to incarceration with an eye towards rehabilitation, a reduction in recidivism, and an increase in community safety,” in keeping with her marketing campaign web site.
“This is not an isolated case. Judge Unger has a history of prioritizing criminals over victims, undermining law enforcement, and making our streets more dangerous,” the police union mentioned. “If we don’t stop judges like her now, we will continue to see repeat offenders and violent criminals emboldened by a system that refuses to hold them accountable.”
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace and the 248th District Courtroom for remark.
