BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A growing backlog of criminal cases awaiting indictment continues to strain Bexar County’s judicial system, raising concerns for both victims seeking justice and suspects hoping to clear their names.
Destiny Cardona, a repeat offender with multiple pending charges, sat in court Wednesday awaiting her case to be called for jury trial. Over the last two years, she has been arrested multiple times.
In 2023, Cardona was arrested for retaliation after allegedly harassing neighbors who had spoken out following the death of Ramon Najera, who was killed by her sister’s dogs. That case has yet to receive a trial date.
While out on bond in 2024, Cardona was arrested again, this time with her boyfriend, on charges of causing serious bodily injury to a child. More than a year later, that case has yet to be indicted.
She was arrested again this May, also while out on bond, this time for theft. That case has already been indicted.
“The backlog right now is insane,” said defense attorney and former prosecutor Meredith Chacon, who has been outspoken about the toll the delays are taking on all sides of the legal process.
Chacon said there are people who have been out on bond for over a year, “and they haven’t even been indicted.”
“When we show up to court, and it’s been two years now, they’ve been indicted, and we ask for an offer, we’re told, ‘We haven’t talked to the victim,’” Chacon said. “So what have they been doing with their victim all that time? So it’s hurting both.”
District Attorney Joe Gonzales told Bexar County commissioners in April that the number of bond cases and cases where suspects remain at large had decreased to 5,249 — down from more than 6,000 waiting to be indicted in December. However, he noted a new formula was used to calculate that total.
When asked by Commissioner Grant Moody whether that same formula had been applied to earlier estimates, Gonzales said, “I would have to research those numbers and get back to you.”
A spokesperson for Moody’s office said they have not received an updated figure and were unaware of any recalculation.
When requesting current numbers from the DA’s office this week, KSAT was told to file an open records request, which was submitted on Wednesday.
In the meantime, cases like Cardona’s remain stalled in the system, with suspects in legal limbo and victims still waiting for answers.
Regarding Cardona’s case, the DA’s office emailed KSAT the following statement:
“Destiny Cardona’s case has not been presented to a grand jury, as our team is still actively gathering and reviewing evidence for the grand jury to move it forward to trial. Please note that this delay is not caused by any backlog issues in our office. The timing reflects our commitment to building a strong and well-supported case that we hope will ultimately secure a conviction.”
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