So You Got Arrested

Seeking Justice, Not Just Convictions: A Conversation with Stephanie Franco

• BRCK Criminal Defense Attorneys

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What actually happens in a felony criminal court, and why does the person behind the bench matter so much to your privacy and your future?
In this episode of So You Got Arrested, hosts Steve Barrera and Jacob Lindberg sit down with Stephanie Franco, a long-time prosecutor and candidate for the 187th District Court in Bexar County. Stephanie shares her unique journey from serving as a juvenile public defender to becoming a felony prosecutor, explaining how seeing both sides of the law shaped her "servant’s heart" and her commitment to individual justice.
The conversation dives deep into:

  • The Power of Perspective: How Stephanie’s background in a family of defense attorneys (the Acevedo family) influences her work as a prosecutor.
  • The "YouTube Judge" Controversy: A candid discussion on the ethics of live-streaming sensitive victim testimony and how it impacts the "court of public opinion."
  • District vs. County Courts: Breaking down the stakes of "big boy court" where life-altering felony charges are decided.
  • Rehabilitation in the System: Lessons from Juvenile Court and the "Strive" program that Stephanie hopes to bring to the adult felony bench.

Whether you are navigating the legal system or interested in the upcoming Bexar County elections, this episode offers a rare look at the intersection of public service, legal ethics, and community safety.

Key Statistics: The Bexar County Legal Landscape

To provide context for the 187th District Court race, here is a look at the broader demographics and workload within the San Antonio/Bexar County justice system.


Category | Statistic/Data PointBexar County Population (Approx.) | 2,000,000+
Felony Cases Disposed Annually | ~18,000 – 22,000 cases across all District Courts
Racial Breakdown (Bexar Co.) | ~60% Hispanic/Latino, 26% White, 8% Black
Incarceration Rate (Texas) | ~840 per 100,000 people (one of the highest in the U.S.)
Juvenile Recidivism | Programs like "Strive" aim to reduce the ~20-25% re-offense rate in TX juveniles.

The Texas Court Hierarchy

Stephanie mentions the difference between County and District courts. These represent the primary tiers of the Texas criminal system:

  • County Courts: Handle Class A and B misdemeanors (e.g., DWIs, simple assaults).
  • District Courts: Handle all felony cases, ranging from drug possession to capital murder.
  • Appellate Courts: Review decisions made by the lower courts for legal errors.

Connect with Stephanie Franco:

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What District Courts Handle

SPEAKER_01

The Texas justice system is messy. So let's break it down. You're listening to So You Got Arrested, the podcast that tells you what really happens after an arrest. Hosted by BRIC Criminal Defense Attorneys. We talk to the people who've lived it, worked in it, and been shaped by it. Whether you're facing charges or just want to understand your rights, your options, and the smart moves that could change everything, we've got your back.

SPEAKER_05

So welcome to So You Got Arrested. This is a BRIC Criminal Defense podcast. I'm your host, Steve Barrera. I'm joined by my colleague, Jacob Lindbergh, and Miss Stephanie Franco. So, Stephanie, uh about uh a week or two ago, I am out and about, you know, running some errands, and my ring camera alert pops up, and I see uh this uh gentleman at my door, and he's knocking on the door, and I'm not there. And then I see him leave and he goes out to his car, and he's in his car for a little bit, and then he comes back and he leaves something at my door. And I'm like, okay, what is this? So I get home and it's a nice little handwritten card that says, Hey, neighbor, would you please consider voting for my daughter? Signed, you know, Miss Franco's dad. And I thought that was just the coolest, sweetest thing. Uh, I've never met Stephanie, right? But so I get this letter and then I start asking around, like, okay, well, who is this person? You know, her her dad seems like a very nice person, so I can imagine that reflects on her. And then I find out who she is, and I said, Hey, I want to get her on the podcast. And we just got lucky in that Jacob knew who you were. And so Jacob reached out to you, and now here you are.

SPEAKER_02

Here I am.

SPEAKER_05

So can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, absolutely. So, one, my dad was absolutely tickled, although I think he's gonna not like that I said tickled, but he was really proud of himself that he has led to this connection. So it's a very small world that he happened to knock on your door. But I am Stephanie Franco. I am currently a first chair felony prosecutor at the DA's office. And yes, I'm running for judge right now for the 187th district court, which is a felony criminal court here in Bear County. So, where are you from? I'm from San Antonio, born and raised here. Okay. I lived here my whole life except for the years that I left to go to college and grad school and law school.

SPEAKER_05

Okay, okay. And so you said that you're running for a position in a district court. Now, uh a lot of the people who watch the podcast um aren't very familiar with legal terms. Um, so there's different types of courts, right? We have county courts and we have district courts. What are the differences between the two?

SPEAKER_02

So a county court handles misdemeanor cases. The court that I'm running for is a felony criminal court. So that can handle everything from simple drug possession of PG1 cases, which would be cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, drugs like that, all the way up to capital murder. Um the court specifically that I'm running for also has a lot of domestic violence cases. It's if if it's a felony and it's a crime, it could land up, land in the 187th.

From Public Defender To Prosecutor

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, that's the way I usually describe it to families of clients. I always say, like, look, when we go in a district court, that's kind of what we call big boy court because there's a lot of serious stuff happening there. Not that serious stuff doesn't happen in misdemeanor court, but obviously district court is where people could go to prison, you know, and and lose significant uh portions of their life to incarceration. So how long have you been a prosecutor?

SPEAKER_02

I've been a prosecutor for almost 11 years now.

SPEAKER_05

Was it always here in Bear County?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, only here in Bear County. Um before I was a prosecutor, I was a juvenile public defender in Travis County. So I've been on both sides. And um yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So let me ask you about that. Um, you were first a public defender, so did you feel that that gave you a different type of insight once you became a prosecutor?

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05

Absolutely. Did you see things because I always wondered, you know, sometimes you have career prosecutors, not that there's anything wrong with that. Um, but you know, I always find it interesting when people can bring a different perspective. Like you said, hey, I've been on the other side. So how did that affect you once you became a prosecutor?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, to start, when I applied at the DA's office, I wasn't sure that I would like being a prosecutor. Um, it was a judge in Travis County who told me when I was a public defender, Stephanie, you need to try prosecuting. I think you would find that you love it. And I told her her name was Judge Texana Davis. And I said, There's no way. I am a defender. I help the people who need help. I help the vulnerable. That's that's what I need to do. Sure. And she said, you need to try it. And so I was ready to come home. Bear County is my home. Like I said, I, you know, after law school, I worked for a year as a public defender, but I wanted to get back home. And Nico was hiring at the time. And so I applied and I got it. And when I started working, I realized that honestly, I can do as much, if not more, good as a prosecutor than I could as a defender because my job is to seek justice, not seek convictions. And it's a joy every day to get up and just do the right thing and make sure that people are getting the help they need when they need it and getting a bit of a hammer when they need that too.

SPEAKER_05

Correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, so yeah, I love being a prosecutor.

SPEAKER_05

My my former co-host was Scott Simpson, and who's now gone back to prosecution. But that was one thing that we we missed Scott. Uh maybe we'll have him back as a guest. Um, but one thing he was always fond of saying is, you know, prosecutor's obligation is to seek justice. And he said, you know, he would tell me, Steve, I don't think every prosecutor understands that. And so it's always nice to hear when somebody recognizes that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And having that experience on both sides, right? I mean, I can relate a lot personally just because my mentor at right out of law school pushed me very hard to go to the DA's office. And, you know, he's a smart guy, he wears glasses, uh, blacks a little bit hair.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

Juvenile Justice And Rehabilitation

SPEAKER_04

And so um, you know, it was something I listened to at the time. And joining, that's where me we met is the juvenile division of the office. And I love juvenile specifically because you really can make a difference in those lives. And so, um, did you at the DA's office, how much time were you in juvenile or what divisions kind of did you go to?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I've been in so many divisions, but I got to spend almost three years in juvenile. I worked with uh Judge Jackie Valdez, who is incredible, and I got to do a lot of work on a specialty court that she puts on called Strive. And the objective of that court was to specifically focus on kids who are about to age out of the juvenile system. And it's to give them the tools that they need to become productive members of society, whether it's hooking them up with a mentor, getting them into a GED program, if school is not really for them, then we get them into a trade school or other things to basically create a world in which they can be successful and get out of the trajectory that they might currently be on. And that was extremely impactful. Um, working in that court has been amazing.

SPEAKER_04

Strive was so great. I was a part of it as well, luckily enough. And I mean, it's something as little as a ID or driver's license for the person so they can better apply for jobs and have those foundations that maybe they weren't given, you know, being raised. And so uh what are some other divisions, things you enjoyed while working, still working at the DA's office?

SPEAKER_02

I spent a lot of time in the family violence division that was impactful. It was um those are tough cases. Those were hard cases. So those were very some of the hardest cases I've ever worked on have been the child sex assault cases, uh, child victim cases. And so my time in family violence was very important and significant. It was also very difficult. Um, a lot of times the ages of the victims in cases would be the same ages as my own kids. And so that was very difficult for me, but it was also very important work. And I have received letters from jurors about how strong of an advocate I was for the kids and how important I am in the system, and so that was great. And most recently, right now, I'm in the violent crimes division of intake, so I get murders, manslaughters, aggravation from the frying pan into the fire.

Family Violence And Violent Crimes Work

SPEAKER_05

So you you're dealing with very traumatic situations, very traumatized uh families and victims and what have you on a daily basis? That that's tough.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I mean it is tough, but it it's important work that needs to be done to help keep our community functioning and safe and preparation.

SPEAKER_05

And you want the right people doing it.

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

So so is there anything about you and your personality that you feel like, hey, you know, this is why that was the right calling for me? I mean, is there something about because those, like I said, those are very difficult cases to deal with. Um, I know, you know, dealing with cases like that on a daily basis, you sometimes you can get, you know, sympathy fatigue. You can it can really wear on your psyche. Is there something about you that, you know, enables you to to handle these things in the way that you do without, you know, falling into depression or whatever the case may be?

SPEAKER_02

Sure. I mean, I was raised in a household. My mom and my dad um are very strong and very uh my mom is a very religious woman. And I was raised, so is my dad. He's not bad. My mom I know, sorry, dad. My mom is a very big praying woman. And in our with all my family, um, we all have servants' hearts. We've all been called to serve in in different ways. Um, and this happens to be the way that I'm called to serve. I mean, it's not, it has hasn't just started when I was a prosecutor. When I was in high school, I was a mentor to kids and in undergrad at Texas Tech, I volunteered at Soup Kitchens. And then in law school, every January I would go put on pro bono wills clinics with UT Law uh down in the valley. And then, you know, a few years ago, we even fostered a child. So it's just part of who I am. It's part of, you know, I think that giving back to people who need it is just part of our duty as good human beings.

SPEAKER_05

And so you've had a a lifetime of giving back to the community. Yeah. Wow. That is awesome. That that's great. Um, so you're in this situation where now are you uh what court are you currently in right now?

SPEAKER_02

So right now, um, because I'm running for judge, uh, our office has a policy that you can't be in a specific court. So I do the violent crimes intake for a number of courts, but I'm not physically in a court.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. And that that's the policy for all the candidates because I know we've interviewed some of the other candidates that are running for like DA and they're in that situation where they were pulled from the trial courts for that. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, you mentioned being a juvenile court prosecutor, and I've always thought that was an important position because you need the right type of person for that position because juvenile court's supposed to be about rehabilitation. Right. And occasionally, and I'm not going to name names or counties, but you do run into juvenile court prosecutors who almost treat it as an adult court where it's all about punishment and it's all about, well, I'm going to teach them a lesson. And that's not what juvenile court's about.

SPEAKER_02

Correct. Yeah. The focus is supposed to be on helping them. Now, there are certain crimes and certain sets of facts that lead to warranting someone, I mean certifying someone as a as a grown-up, as an adult. And those cases, then, if you are certified as an adult, even if you are technically a juvenile, that's that changes the goal of the system, which at that point could potentially be punitive.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_02

But for the most part, the majority of kids are not certified as adults because the majority of them, I mean, their brains are still developing. And the idea is not to lock them up, but to help guide them on a path where we want people in our community to be successful. You know, when what is it, rising tide raise raises? Rises all right. So, you know, as we help people be better, we're helping our society be better as well.

Campaign Decision And The YouTube Court

SPEAKER_04

Right. And there's a lot of things in juvenile that I really liked, and I kind of wish adult courts did as well. And, you know, again, you kind of gain that new perspective just because it's new laws and new theories, right? It's all rehab. And so specifically, you know, when a respondent in the juvenile courts is arrested, um, they're immediately given a probation officer. And that probation officer does a full interview, goes to their house and speaks with their parents and does all these things. And so, you know, immediately we're kind of it's not just cause number CR25, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's this person, you know, it's Jacob Limberg. It's a person that has a family and wants to do better. Not that I was ever a respondent in a juvenile court. I want that on the record. Uh, but you know, it's it's much more personal because it is rehabilitative. Um, and so are there any things that you feel at potentially as a judge that maybe you can bring over experience from juvenile where you can kind of bring to being a uh judge of a court, a felony court.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, I think the most important thing that I can bring over is just treating everyone as an individual and not just a number and not just a crime, and actually seeing them for who they are and figuring out the best way that we can to get change the trajectory.

SPEAKER_05

And and and the thing that I like that you mentioned is you said, hey, you know, during college, I worked at a soup kitchen. I so you've seen people who are struggling and you know, and I'm sure with that comes a recognition that, you know, there are people who may find themselves in circumstances that not that we're not all responsible for what we do, but sometimes we're in circumstances that make it more likely that we may fall off the straight and narrow.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05

So uh I I do appreciate that you bring that to the table. One of the things that I wanted to ask you about is uh your father who came and left that note, he is an attorney. Yes. And so I my father was an attorney, and I always felt that that, you know, gave me a little different perspective. Um I felt that maybe, you know, when I kind of started practicing law, I was able to hit the ground running a little more just because I had that mentorship. Uh I had seen what my father was doing while I was growing up and how he was handling things. I I don't know if you have a take on that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Well, um, my dad's a defense attorney. My whole family are defense attorneys. I am the black sheep that became a prosecutor, not a defense attorney. Uh I'm an Acevedo. So Ernest Acevedo, the late Ernest Acevedo was a judge. Johnny Cisneros is my uncle. I mean, I come from a family of defense attorneys. So I bring the perspective of, you know, hearing, growing up, hearing about what their clients are going through in terms of what led them there, right? So I don't just see the crime, I literally see the circumstances that lead to the crime.

SPEAKER_04

Right. And I think you mentioned said the word, which is perspective. I think that's what you bring to the table is not only their experiences that they kind of nurtured you in, but also your own experiences that you've developed throughout your career and experience. And so uh I think that's really important is that perspective.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, because I mean a lot of times it it's like you said, treating the person in front of you as an individual, as a human being, as opposed to just a defendant whose name is on a piece of paper. But we're coming up on our break. Um, so uh thank you for listening. We'll be back after this short message.

Open Courts Vs. Public Harm

SPEAKER_00

The attorneys of Brit Criminal Defense have helped over 5,000 clients move on with their lives. When an arrest or accusation turns your life upside down, we have the knowledge, experience, and integrity to get your life back on track. Traditional legal ethics, modern legal tactics, the best defense possible to get you through the criminal justice system. Search Brit Criminal Defense to see our reviews and find out why so many of our clients have trusted us to fight for them. Brit Criminal Defense, helping our clients move on with their lives.

SPEAKER_05

So we're back with uh Stephanie Franco, who is a candidate for the 187th District Court here in Bear County. Um when did you decide to to, hey, I'm gonna go ahead and make this run for judge?

SPEAKER_02

Um July. I decided in July.

SPEAKER_05

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

And can I tell you a little bit why?

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, absolutely, please.

SPEAKER_02

So I I didn't necessarily think I need to be judge and I'm ready to be judge and I want to be judge. It was more of a conversation I was happening having with a friend figuring out who was going to run against the person currently in the court that I'm running for. The one that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_05

There's an incumbent that you're running against you're running against. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Whose name is also Stephanie. So for our race, it's gonna come all the way down to the last names, and that's it. Um and so when I was asking people who's gonna run against this judge, because in my opinion, the harm she was causing to our community was so great that someone needed to do something. And every person I spoke to said no one is willing to.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_02

For fear, for various reasons. Right. And I went home and I talked to my parents and I talked to my husband. And when I described some of what's happening there, all of them said, How could you not run? Right. And that led to me running.

SPEAKER_05

Now, do you uh would you mind kind of you you mentioned, you know, kind of harm to the community? Uh would you mind discussing that a little bit?

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely. So currently in the 187th, which is the court I'm running for, and it covers all of Bear County. Um, everyone in Bear County can vote for me and should vote for me. The judge there puts everything in the courtroom on YouTube. She's colloquially referred to as the YouTube judge. Um, this includes victim testimony. And even when victims state that they do not want their trauma to be put online, the judge there chooses to do so anyway. And as a prosecutor who's worked with victims for 11 years now, I know how hard it is for them to get the courage to speak. And to, you know, for domestic violence victims in particular, there's so much shame associated wrongfully, but associated with their trauma and with, you know, the ki times of cases that they're in. And so then to add additional trauma by saying you now have to choose between privacy and justice, it's it's horrific, frankly.

Outreach, Endorsements, And Primary Details

SPEAKER_05

Well, and and you know, uh I may be a little old school in this regard. Jacob is of the age of social media, but uh, you know, to me, um it somewhat demeans this process and this uh this profession that we're all in, especially when you see that the videos they get cut up and repackaged in these entertaining formats with music behind them and top five, you know, worst attorneys to appear in front of this judge and you know, whatever the case may be. I mean, to me, it just demeans what we all do. It almost makes a mockery of this very serious undertaking that we go through. That's a district court. That's a court where people's liberties are at stake. That's a court where, you know, people are often sentenced to decades away from their family, and somehow it it becomes repackaged as entertainment on YouTube, which, you know, I I don't care for it. I don't like it. Um, but that's just my personal opinion. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

And you often hear defense attorneys upset about this. It's really interesting to hear you, as a you know, 11-year prosecutor now bringing in that perspective and bringing in the victim's perspective of it. Um, because as defense attorneys, you know, we have cases and many people that we've represented in there, and you know, it could be something where they made a really unfortunate mistake or poor choice in that situation, and they can end up with a great outcome afterwards, but that video on YouTube lives on. I mean, that doesn't go away. Um, their employer that maybe they have it to where it wouldn't affect their record and things like that, but it lives on that YouTube page, aka the internet, uh forever at this point. Um, and so it's really difficult as defense attorneys, and and there's been a lot of um upset defense attorneys because of that. And so hearing a prosecutor talk about it is is really interesting.

What Voters Can Expect And How To Help

SPEAKER_02

Aaron Powell Yeah, well, and the thing is, is we know what the court of public opinion believes, right? We know what people think when They see someone in court. When I pick juries, the first thing I say is if I presented this case right now and asked, or if I asked you right now if this person sitting here is guilty or not guilty, what would you say? And I have to make sure that I get a jury that says not guilty if I don't present evidence, right? Because until we give evidence, they are presumed not guilty. There is no evidence against them. But we know that the court of public opinion sees someone in court, they believe they're guilty of whatever offense they're charged with. And so their faces, defendants' faces, are being put on blast from day one. And so someone who's assigned right now to the 187th is going to have a vastly different, less private experience than someone who is in any other court in all of Bear County. This is the only court in all of Bear County that does this. And I think that it's absolutely wrong that a defendant or a victim, if you're a victim of crime, I mean, if you're in district court, you are a victim of robbery or strangulation or assault family violence. You know, the most serious offense is sexual assault, murder. There are so many serious cases in district court. And so for these to be the cases that get broadcast and monetized and put on YouTube and then mocked on TikTok, it's it's absolutely inappropriate. Unfortunately, it's not illegal, and that's why this judge has been able to do so for years now.

SPEAKER_04

And so on that, what makes it not illegal? What makes it okay? That kind of thing, if you could explain that as well.

SPEAKER_02

It's not okay. What makes it not against the rules?

SPEAKER_05

I guess. I think you missed out on the last five minutes of company.

SPEAKER_02

Um well, because it's an open courtroom, right? The courtroom is open, and I believe in an open courtroom. And I believe that when cases are relevant to public safety and public interest, those cases should be open, right? And published. Like the news, um, the SAPD officers who were recently charged with a crime. San Antonio and Bear County had a vested interest in finding out what happened in that case because the police exist in our everyday life and that matters to the public. And so KSAT at that point was able to stream that case. When I am judged, they will be able to stream cases that are relevant to the public. What's not going to be on online is going to be cases involving private matters, strangulations, assault family violence cases, robbery cases. I mean, if a victim is a victim of a crime committed by a gang member, I can guarantee you that person does not want their face broadcast online.

SPEAKER_05

Right. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02

But right now in the 187th, that's the situation that exists.

SPEAKER_05

Could you imagine somebody taking the stand and having to identify, you know, just as a private witness, a private citizen who's merely a witness, not a party to anything, having to go in and identify and say, hey, that's the guy, you know, subjecting that person to time in prison, and then maybe the guy gets acquitted or whatever it is, or their family sees it and he goes to prison and they're angry. I mean, just, you know, it it's it's it's terrible to think about.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I mean, it literally shocks the conscience.

SPEAKER_05

So it in this, you know, uh I I I agree with you, and and as you've been going through this campaign, have you had opportunities to speak to different groups, to kind of make your your viewpoints known to different uh individuals?

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely. Um I have basically not stopped speaking to any group that will see me until I started because I honestly I feel the pressure to do better for our community. Um it's it's not a personal goal so much as the pressure to just protect our community and do better. And so that's part of why I've been working so hard. Um, I have interviewed with many different groups. I have gone to, if you tell me you have a neighborhood meeting, I ask you, can I come and have five minutes of their time? Because I have yet to meet someone who, when I tell them what's happening, I've yet to meet someone who says, Oh no, I think that's great. I think that should stay. Like no one does. And everyone is shocked when I tell them what's happening, everyone outside of our community.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_02

And so I am doing everything I can to share what's happening because I think if people knew this was happening in our own backyard, every single person would be at the polls on February 17th, which is when early voting starts, voting for Stephanie Franco.

SPEAKER_05

And so uh your uh is the incumbent in the primary against you?

SPEAKER_02

Correct.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. All right. So it's the primary that's very important that we're talking about here.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, the democratic primary.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. So, you know, people, if this issue is important to you, you need to get out and vote in the primary. Don't wait until the general election. Um are you endorsed by any groups right now?

SPEAKER_02

I am endorsed by so many groups. Um, I am endorsed by the Firefighters Association. I am endorsed by the San Antonio Police Officers Association, I'm endorsed by the CWA, um, which is a workers' union. I'm endorsed by AFL CIO, which is another workers' union, and those unions in particular care so much about families and protecting working families. Um I mean, I have more endorsements. The Stonewall Democrats, the Northeast Bear County Democrats endorsed me as a true Democrat, the Bear County Young Democrats. I mean, truly, every single organization that has interviewed both of us, me and my opponent for endorsements, has endorsed me. And the reason is that these groups care about our community and they care about how people are treated. And right now, how people are being treated in that court is unacceptable.

SPEAKER_04

And what are some of the other issues in going against someone that's already on the bench, you know, as an incumbent? What are some of the issues in kind of attacking that, you know, as a new candidate?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, I can tell you that at the start, at a lot of people involved in the Democratic Party were resistant to hearing about why I was doing it. Um, you know, at the start, I felt a little bit like people resented me for daring to challenge this column. You're upending the status quo. Right. But once I started telling them, hey, this is what it's like if you actually are in the system like we are, and you see it every day, here's how it's actually affecting human beings, people you care about, right? People know victims of crime. Absolutely. People know people charged with crimes. And no matter who you know, you you don't want them treated how they're being treated right there. And so when I started actually getting them to hear what I was saying, many of them realize like, okay, you're here for a reason and and we agree with you.

SPEAKER_05

So if people go during the primary in March and they cast their ballot for Stephanie Franco, what can they expect to get from you as a judge on the bench?

SPEAKER_02

Well, first let me say the early voting starts in February. So I hope I hope people vote in early voting February 17th through the 27th. But please don't wait till March 3rd. You might get a flat tire or something. We don't want anything to stop you. But what you can get from me is you're gonna get someone who cares about treating every person with dignity, cares about treating people with respect, and truly cares about the good of our community and will make the decisions that need to be made in order to protect our community. I'm born and raised here. I'm raising my own two kids here. I care about San Antonio, I care about Bear County, and I care about what I'm leaving to my kids.

SPEAKER_05

You have any other questions?

SPEAKER_04

No, where are some places like social medias, things like that, where people can reach you, find you?

SPEAKER_02

I love that. Um, my Facebook is Stephanie Franco for Judge. I think that's my Instagram handle as well. I think I have a TikTok handle and I think it's Stephanie Franco for Judge. And I have a website.

SPEAKER_05

And so do you want to guess what it is? Is it Stephanie Franco for Judge? It is. Okay, good. Stephanie Franco for Judge. If people want to donate, uh, how can they donate?

SPEAKER_02

Um on my website, there's a big button that says donate here, and you can donate to me. And every single dollar that comes in is going towards spreading my message about what's happening.

SPEAKER_04

Fantastic. And that was Stephanie FrancoForJudge.com. Yeah, there we go.

SPEAKER_02

And again, the person I'm running against has my same first name. So you have to remember Franco.

SPEAKER_05

Franco has the vote. Yes. So when you get into that ballot box, it's Stephanie Franco. Yep. Uh early voting starts in February. Don't wait until March 3rd. Um and we appreciate your time. We appreciate you coming on. Is there anything else that you would like the voters to know about you uh before we wrap this up?

SPEAKER_02

Um I'm not sure. I mean, if you see me around town, introduce yourself. I'm happy to meet people. And it excites me when people say, I saw your sign and I wanted to meet you in person. Or I mean, if you have a neighborhood event and I can come introduce myself to a group of people, I would love to do that too. So um I'm a down-to-earth person and I enjoy meeting people who understand what I'm going through.

SPEAKER_05

Well, and I can attest to that because, like I said, I had never met Stephanie prior to today. And when I reached out to her, she was very warm and welcoming and said, absolutely, I would be happy to talk with you. So I have zero doubt that uh if you asked, you know, for a little bit of her time for some questions, she would respond. So thank you for coming on. Uh, this is So You Got Arrested with BRIC Criminal Defense with uh Stephanie Franco, who is running for the 187th District Court. Please vote in the primary.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks for listening to So You Got Arrested. If you found this podcast helpful, share it with someone who needs to hear it. For more legal insights and real talk from the front lines of the Texas justice system, follow us and subscribe. And remember, Brick Criminal Defense has your back. For more information, visit us at brckadefense.com.