The Justice Journal: Vol. 65 (English)

The Justice Journal: Vol. 65

A look at cases recently prosecuted by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

State vs. Jalyce Richardson

Murder

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Lead: Basma Raza

2nd Chair: Robbie Pfeiffer

DA Investigators: Anthony Winn & Aleciah Taylor

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

Special Thanks: Cassidy Richardson, Aryanna Bradford, Kalle Riner, and Tiffany Lopez

The victims were living together and allowing the defendant to rent out the other room in their apartment. The defendant was a horrible roommate, locking the victims out of the apartment, causing neighbors and management to complain about loud music, etc., resulting in the victims asking the defendant to move out.

On the day of the offense, the victims were about to go out on a date, and the soon-to-be deceased victim wanted to confront the defendant and remind her that she needed to get out of the apartment. The victim tried knocking on the defendant’s bedroom door, but the defendant ignored him as she had done since being asked to leave the first time. The victim eventually used a plastic utensil to unlock the defendant’s door, and a heated discussion ensued. The victim made multiple offers to refund money to the defendant and repeatedly told her to leave. Instead, the defendant began shooting, killing one victim and injuring the other, then calmly went back to her room and shut the door. The deceased victim’s partner spent the next 20 or so minutes trying to play dead, and then he called 911. When officers arrived, the defendant was still in her bedroom with the door locked and didn’t care to speak about that day’s events.

After a pretty quick guilty verdict, the jury then spent about 25 minutes before deciding on 99 years in prison for the murder and 20 years in prison for the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

GUILTY and sentenced to 99 years in prison for murder and 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

State vs. Cornell Andrews

Aggravated Assault-Family SBI

Lead: Joel Abraham

2nd Chair: Ann Duffy

DA Investigator: Barry Maxwell

DA Victim Advocate: Nathaly Mendez

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant and adult victim were in a long-term relationship. After an argument, the defendant was told he was no longer allowed in the apartment. The defendant then forcibly re-entered the apartment and attacked the adult victim and three children with a hammer. He then bound up the victims and blocked the apartment door with a washing machine. One child jumped out of the window of the second-story apartment and ran to her friend’s apartment where 911 was called. The defendant then left the apartment unit. Ambulance and Police arrived to assist the victims, and the defendant was later apprehended.

GUILTY and sentenced to 55 years in prison.

State vs. Kadarrion Scott

Murder

Lead: Sarah Hughes

2nd Chair: Loren Collins

DA Investigators: John Schingle & JD Williams

Investigating Agency: Garland Police Department

The victim and defendant were at a birthday party at an Airbnb. A group of guys were playing dice around a pool table. The victim’s friend was winning. There was money in the middle of the pool table. The defendant was standing next to the victim’s friend. One of the witnesses noticed the defendant and his friends inching toward the victim’s friend and watching him “too closely”. The witness warned the victim, and he went over to the pool table to stand by his friend. The friend reached over the pool table to grab his money, and the defendant pulled the friend’s gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the friend. The victim reached his hand out to swat the gun away, and the defendant turned and shot the victim and ran from the Airbnb. Most of the partygoers also fled, but a few girls stayed behind and gave statements that “Pookah” shot the victim. The Marshals quickly identified “Pookah” as the defendant.

One of the girls who gave a statement identifying “Pookah” as the shooter knew the defendant previously. In the months leading up to the trial, she dodged several attempts to be served. When she was finally served, the defendant immediately called her from jail and told her, “Don’t come or say you don’t recall what happened or you were drunk.” The defendant went on to arrange for a third party to hide her in a hotel to prevent her from coming to testify. The judge granted the State’s motion for forfeiture by wrongdoing, and the witness’s statement to officers and detectives came in at trial.

The jury convicted him and sentenced him to 28 years in prison.

GUILTY and sentenced to 28 years in prison.

State vs. Tyler Benavidez

Man Del CS PG 1 >=4G <200G Methamphetamine With a Deadly Weapon

Man Del CS PG 1 >= 4G <200G Cocaine With a Deadly Weapon

Injury to a Child

Man Del CS PG ¾ < 28G- Revocation

Man Del CS PG 1 >= 4G <200G- Revocation

Man Del CS PG 1 >=1G <4G- Revocation

Robbery- Revocation

Robbery- Revocation

Robbery- Revocation

DA Investigator: Tom Naulty

Investigating Agency: Carrollton Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department

The defendant was already being surveilled by the Grand Prairie Police Department for large-scale drug distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine when his 11-month-old baby, Bentley, was rushed to the hospital for a fentanyl overdose.

The defendant and his girlfriend were staying at a La Quinta Inn from which they were repackaging and distributing narcotics. Their baby was staying with them. In a confession, the defendant stated that they rented one room for the baby to keep him separated from the narcotics. However, baby toys and bottles were found in both rooms, along with narcotics and a firearm. The baby was found unresponsive while his mother was doing laundry. Due to the administration of Naloxone by responding medical personnel, Bentley survived the overdose.

The defendant had been on probation for six cases in Dallas County, including robbery and possession with the intent to deliver. Bentley’s mother had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on her charges. The defendant was set for a contested revocation hearing but chose to plead to all charges and was sentenced to 25 years in prison on his first-degree offenses.

 GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

State vs. Trinton Kennedy

Evading in Motor Vehicle

Possession with Intent to Deliver 4-200g Cocaine

Possession with Intent to Deliver 4-400g THC

Possession of Marijuana 4 oz. - 5 lbs.

Unlawful Possession of Firearm by Felon

Possession of Prohibited Weapon/Machine Gun

Prosecutor: Clint Stiffler

DA Investigator: Bonita Morgan

Investigating Agency: Irving Police Department

Special Thanks: Jessica Trevizo

In January 2024, the defendant fled in his vehicle from police who were responding to a call reporting him with a gun. The defendant led responding officers on a high-speed chase, endangering other drivers on the road. Later, in November 2024, and after surveillance revealed the defendant making hand-to-hand drug transactions, Irving narcotics and gang investigators executed a search warrant on the defendant’s apartment. They found large amounts of cocaine, THC edibles, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and three pistols, including a Glock with a ‘switch’ attachment that enabled it to fire full auto. The defendant had multiple felony convictions, so he was unable to possess firearms legally. The defendant pleaded guilty to these offenses and went to the Court for punishment.

During the punishment hearing, the State presented evidence that the defendant had a history of gang membership, demonstrated by various tattoos associated with the Bloods criminal street gang, as well as the defendant’s previous admissions. Additionally, the State presented evidence that the defendant abused three dogs. One dog, an emaciated bully mix since renamed SweetPea, was locked outside for hours in a patio area covered in blood, feces, and urine. She suffered from multiple injuries or health issues, including two broken hind legs. This dog was confiscated by Irving's animal control, had multiple surgeries and physical therapy, and is now doing well in her new home. Two other dogs had their ears crudely docked and stitched and were locked in filthy cages. These were also seized, treated, and have been adopted by loving families.

The Court sentenced the defendant to 25 years in prison for the offenses.

GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

State vs. Jaime Green

Possession with Intent to Deliver 400 grams or more of Methamphetamine

Lead: Clint Stiffler

2nd Chair: William Davison

DA Investigator: Bonita Morgan

Investigating Agency: Carrollton Police Department

On September 4, 2024, narcotics investigators with the Carrollton Police Department executed a search warrant on a room at Le Meridian Hotel in North Dallas. The defendant was found inside the room after flushing contraband down the toilet. However, the officers still recovered more than half a kilo of methamphetamine, some fentanyl pills, a significant number of forged documents and personal financial information, and drug paraphernalia.

The jury deliberated for 55 minutes and convicted the defendant after a three-day trial. The defendant, a habitual felon with convictions in both the state and federal justice systems, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

State vs. Charles Fisher

Evading Arrest with a Vehicle

Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance >=4G<200G

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

Lead: Michael Chang

2nd Chair: Mason Rodriguez

DA Investigators: Bonita Morgan & Tom Naulty

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On August 4, 2023, the Dallas Police Department's Crime Response Team proactively attempted to execute a felony arrest warrant on the defendant. The defendant disregarded the marked officers and fled from police in his vehicle. The defendant drove over 30 miles and was ultimately apprehended. Once apprehended, the defendant was found to have two handguns, 128 grams of methamphetamine powder, and approximately 1000 pressed methamphetamine pills.

GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

State vs. Richard Rojas

Intoxication Manslaughter

Lead: Priscilla Pelli

2nd Chair: Andrew James

DA Investigators: Ron Cathcart & Bill Martinez

DA Paralegal: Maria Cantrell

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On March 17, 2022, the victim was out celebrating a friend’s birthday at a local neighborhood bar in the Medical District part of Dallas. The defendant, who was kicked out of another bar earlier that evening, got in his car and sped down the road to go get food to “sober up”. He was nearly three times the legal limit, driving at 80 mph on a 30 mph road, when he struck the victim who was crossing the street with his friends.

GUILTY and sentenced to 7 years in prison with a deadly weapon finding.

State vs. Walter Jones

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Lead: Sarah Hayes

2nd Chair: Steve Fawcett

DA Investigator: John Schingle

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant and the victim were hanging out in Five Points. A fight broke out between the defendant, the victim, and a third person. The fight ended, and the victim went back to his car to leave. The defendant retrieved his gun from his own car and cornered the victim, firing multiple shots into his car. The victim was shot in the back.

After his arrest, the defendant gave a statement saying that he acted in self-defense because the victim had been holding a gun to him and beating him with a brick during the initial fight. The victim was uncooperative and refused to testify.

The jury did not buy the defendant’s self-defense argument and convicted him. The defendant is a documented member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang.

GUILTY and sentenced to 10 years probated for 10 years.