So You Got Arrested

Veronica Legarreta’s Vision for Bexar County

• BRCK Criminal Defense Attorneys

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In this episode of So You Got Arrested, host Steve Barrera of BRCK Defense sits down with Veronica Legarreta, candidate for Bexar County District Attorney. Veronica shares her unique path to the legal field—from her secret life as an acting major and improv comic to her roles as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and city magistrate.

They explore the "human aspect" of criminal law and discuss how her diverse experiences have shaped her platform. Key discussion points include:

  • The "Pivoting" Skill: How improv prepared her for the unpredictable nature of jury trials.
  • Smart Justice: A proposal for a six-hour mental health hold to prevent unnecessary criminal records for those in crisis.
  • Prosecutorial Reform: Addressing the attorney shortage through flexible part-time programs and improved training with law enforcement.
  • System Integrity: Why she believes justice in Bexar County requires a balanced approach between the DA’s office and the defense.

For those navigating the Texas justice system or following the local San Antonio primary, this episode provides an in-depth look at a candidate who has seen the law from every side of the bench.

Learn more at: voteveronica.com

SPEAKER_00

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 Attorney. 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.

Meet Veronica Legarreta

SPEAKER_02

This is So You Got Arrested, a BRIC Criminal Defense Podcast. I'm your host, Steve Barrera. I'm here with Veronica Legreta. Thank you for coming on and joining us on the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to be here.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, Ms. Legreta is a candidate for the Bear County District Attorney's Office. And so we've been doing a thing lately where we've been bringing on candidates. Uh we've brought on judicial candidates and other candidates for DA to kind of get to a little could get to know them a little bit better. I know previously you guys have had debates, but in those debates, you only get to talk for about a minute or a minute and a half.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

And so I wanted to give you an opportunity to kind of use this half hour to tell people about yourself.

SPEAKER_03

No, I appreciate it. You know, you're right in the debates, we're given about a minute. We get thrown a question and then we have to say everything we have to say in one minute.

SPEAKER_02

On a complicated issue.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, which I'm like, there's so much more, but here's my two cents.

SPEAKER_02

Right, exactly. So tell me a little bit about yourself. Uh, where are you from?

SPEAKER_03

I am originally from El Paso, Texas. Oh, okay. Um, my dad is a retired federal agent, and so we moved quite a bit. We went from El Paso to Brownsville, Texas, to Sacramento, California, back to El Paso to Mexico City, where we were diplomats. Then I went to UT Austin for undergrad, and I came to San Antonio for law school and ended up staying.

SPEAKER_02

So uh bilingual?

SPEAKER_03

Bilingual.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome. So uh UT Austin. My son is there now. He's a sophomore. There you go. Uh what did you study while you were there?

SPEAKER_03

I honestly am an acting major.

SPEAKER_02

Really?

SPEAKER_03

Yes. So when I was younger, I was super shy. I mean, I couldn't even order my own meal at a restaurant. And after high school, I don't know what happened, but I was like, I want to be an actor. Right. Right. So I went into the drama program. Sure. I didn't tell my parents because you know, a Hispanic mom, I mean, I probably could have been the first woman pope before I was gonna be an actor. Right. Um and so I went into it. I did a lot of improv comedy, and it really helped me um come out of my shell. Yeah. You know, and so now, you know, sometimes my sisters tell me, Well, we can't shut you up now, right? There you go.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So you probably were there a little bit before Professor McConaughey was in the uh acting department.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, before. But I did see him at the football games.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah, of course. He's always on the sideline.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, you know, back then you could smoke in the stadiums and he was always with his cigar uh in the stand.

SPEAKER_02

So uh w while you're an undergrad, is that when you decided, hey, I think I might want to go to law school?

SPEAKER_03

So in high school, I originally wanted to be a lawyer. Okay. I actually wanted to be a divorce attorney. Oh, I didn't know anything about law, but that's why a divorce attorney? I have no idea. I thought, oh yeah, I'm gonna represent these women and I'm gonna take all the money. Uh I didn't know very much about the law. Um then I went into acting, and then shortly after that, I did some improv comedy down in Austin. Wow. Right. And uh I just had decided, no, I'm not gonna move to LA, I'm not gonna move to New York.

SPEAKER_02

Um Well, now the Austin comedy scene is huge.

SPEAKER_03

It is, you know, I mean maybe I left a little too late. You know, sometimes I tell my sisters, like, if this law thing doesn't work out, I'm going back to the stage. Right. Um, but um I kind of stopped and I was like, you know what? I want to be a lawyer. That's really what I wanted to do. So I went to law school.

SPEAKER_02

Where did you go to law school?

SPEAKER_03

St. Mary's.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, here in St.

SPEAKER_03

And I was actually an oxymoron. It's a comedy group here in Santa. I performed with them throughout law school.

SPEAKER_02

Were they at the Woodlawn Theater or Woodlawn Theater?

SPEAKER_03

Um the um we have the loudmouth or Laugh Out Loudmouth. LOL. Yes, theater. We performed there.

SPEAKER_02

Very cool.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And you did that during law school?

SPEAKER_03

I did.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

I did. And then after law I was in mock trial, and mock trial is actually very important to me because it taught me um trial advocacy.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

DA’s Office And Trial Reps

SPEAKER_03

Right. And I met um a gentleman by the name of Ken Bell, and he was my mock trial partner. So when I got out of law school, he was already working at the DA's office because he was an intern. And um I had tried my hand at civil litigation. At the time I was like, this is not for me. Right.

SPEAKER_02

Very boring.

SPEAKER_03

Uh so Ken Bell spoke with at the time Judge Reed. Okay. And they reached out to me to apply to the district attorney's office.

SPEAKER_02

So let me ask you this, um, because uh I, you know, growing up was uh, for better or worse, what people might call a theater kid. Uh but I did find that, you know, improvisation and things like that did translate to skills when you're in court. You know, uh uh have you found that to be true?

SPEAKER_03

Aaron Ross Powell 100%. You know, when you are picking a jury, a lot of people don't understand this, but um we kind of script it, we have kind of like a uh bulletin points of what we want, but everything is changing, right? It's evolving. When you're questioning witnesses, sometimes they say stuff you were not expecting, and you need to be able to pivot.

SPEAKER_02

To pivot. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And so you gotta be quick on your feet. Absolutely. So doing imp uh improvisation, that really has helped me. Right. Like I can pivot like no one's business when we're in trial. Right. Right. To me, it's like, okay, this is my audience, right? And this is what we're about to put on for them. You know.

SPEAKER_02

And and I imagine, you know, doing things like improv, I mean, you probably had times where you had audiences that weren't very responsive, but you're still up there and you have to get over that fear.

SPEAKER_03

And oh yes. Yes. Like they're not laughing, and you're just up there like, I want to get off the stage, but it's only been five minutes. So we have like 55 more minutes of the show to do.

SPEAKER_02

So And so it in in law school, that's when you decided, hey, I'm going to the DA's office?

SPEAKER_03

Or um so I actually worked in the clinic that the St. Mary's had. In the family law clinic. Because again, I still was going to be doing divorces.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Um, I I did the family law clinic while I was at St. Mary's.

SPEAKER_03

It was it's actually a very good program, you know. There is a lady who I got assigned to help, and um she almost died. Her husband stabbed her, I think, seven times. She had to be airlifted out. And she had this little angel on her. And at the end of the whole thing, um, she hands me the angel, she only spoke Spanish, and she told me, you know, Veronica, this is my guardian angel, but I now know you are my guardian angel. And she gave it to me, right? And I keep it in my card to this day to remember I'm here for the people.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

White Collar And Hard Cases

SPEAKER_02

And so uh making that transition, you know, from family law to criminal law, I've always told people, um, you know, being a criminal defense attorney, people ask me, well, aren't you afraid of your clients? You know, things like that. Um I think family law attorneys have probably more issues with their clients because things are much more heated, they're more emotional when you're in that family law court.

SPEAKER_03

It really is. Uh in family law, um, there's a lot of uh hatred and and tension going on between people, you know. And unfortunately, sometimes they use their children as pawns in this whole fight, right? Um and then you go to the criminal side, and now we say the criminals are a lot more respectful than on the civil side.

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely. So um your first experience with criminal law was that as a prosecutor?

SPEAKER_03

It was. It was. Um I was assigned to Judge Mary's court when he was in council. Judge Michael Mary. Yes. Okay. And I was there for 19 months. And Ken Bell, my mock trial partner, was my actual trial partner.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_03

So we worked really well together. Um I loved being a prosecutor. I was very good at it. Okay. Very, very good at it.

SPEAKER_02

In Judge Mary's court, um, what kind of cases were you handling?

SPEAKER_03

At that time it was it was misdemeanors. You know, DWIs, um, assaults, not family violence, but assaults, um, anything having to do with class B or Class A um crimes.

SPEAKER_02

Aaron Powell And I imagine, you know, being a a misdemeanor prosecutor, you get a lot of trial experience here in Bear County.

SPEAKER_03

Well, especially in Judge Mary's court, we would try one or two trials a week.

SPEAKER_02

Wow.

SPEAKER_03

So before I even left the DA's office, I had over a hundred jury trials to verdict.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Wow. Okay. So uh you stayed at the DA's office for how long?

SPEAKER_03

For approximately four years, maybe shy like one or two months.

SPEAKER_02

Um while you were there during that four years, I imagine you didn't stay in Judge Mary's court the entire time.

SPEAKER_03

No, I got promoted to the white collar unit, so I started doing felonies.

SPEAKER_02

Um, talk about that, the white collar unit. What kind of uh criminal offenses go through that unit?

SPEAKER_03

Aaron Powell So we have all financial crimes go through there, um, the prosecution of child porn cases, but that's that was a very rough one. Yeah. Um, you know, those are very hard to prosecute, not because of um you can't prove it, right? But more because it stays with you. Because those individuals on those videos, we don't know where those victims are. We don't know how they are now, where they saved. We just know that someone is distributing that those videos. Right. And so that's who we're prosecuting.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I was talking to somebody last week, and um I was telling them these cases, you know, the these uh abuse of children cases, the the sex cases, whatever it is, uh they do take something out of you. I mean, it it's hard to deal with that stuff day in and day out without it, you know, taking a little bit home with you just because it's so it's so shocking. You're seeing the worst of the worst.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, absolutely. I mean, there unfortunately, there are still images that are stuck in my head, right? And you just you can never unsee that. Right. Right. Right. Um but also in that unit, I also had to review the police shooting cases.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03

You know, so I wasn't they you know, they bring me this big binder, all the evidence, so like we need you to review this and tell us um, do you think you know it was a good shooting, bad shooting? So I was trained to do that.

SPEAKER_02

That's a tough call.

SPEAKER_03

That is a very good thing.

SPEAKER_02

I imagine that can get a little political.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, it can, you know, and and police are calling you because they want to give you and I'm like, I really don't need any opinions right now. Let me read everything first, you know, and then I will listen to everything before making a decision to recommend.

SPEAKER_02

At what point did you decide, hey, you know, the DA's office, I've learned a lot, but I think I'm ready to move on.

SPEAKER_03

Um so while I was in the white-collar unit, I was uh real quickly, I was also there's one law like uh environmental prosecutor, okay, and it was me, right?

SPEAKER_02

An environmental prosecutor.

Switching To Defense Practice

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so for illegal dumping when people leave tires everywhere. Okay. So I learned about a lot of that. And shortly after, um, do you remember the Barrios uh murders or the murder of Miss Barrios?

SPEAKER_02

Oh yes, with the bow and arrow.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, yes so I helped uh with that case. Oh, yeah. I did the research for it, you know, I helped. Um and then shortly after that, I was like, you know, I really want to be back in the courtroom. But in white collar, uh it's different. You're not assigned to a court, right? So at that time I decided, okay, I think I'm gonna try the other side now. And I stepped out and I started, you know, the defense law firm. Started your own practice. I started my own practice.

SPEAKER_02

That's a bold move.

SPEAKER_03

People don't tell you how hard it is, right? Uh a lot of defense attorneys, yeah, it's great, but they don't tell you that in the beginning it's not that great.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, it can be tough.

SPEAKER_03

You know, for a while I didn't have an office, and so I was I always laugh. Um, I was the Lexus lawyer because I was working out of my garden. Right, right. Right. Uh, but then slowly you you know you get court appointments and you start building your book of business and clients, and um then it just it took off.

SPEAKER_02

Well, and then you had that experience coming from the DA's office, you knew how cases got filed, you knew what prosecutors looked at, and you brought that to the table for your clients.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. And then being bilingual, you know, people are always looking for a Spanish-speaking attorney. And then I remember I helped this one lady, she told two friends, who told two friends, who told two friends. Okay. And so I stopped taking court appointments about three, four years ago.

SPEAKER_02

Right. So, how did your perspective change when you went from that role of being a prosecutor to now being a defense attorney? Like what was was there a change in your mindset? I mean, what what did you think?

SPEAKER_03

It took a second. It took a second, right? Because um I was trained to read these police reports and look for the crime. Right? But when you actually become a defense attorney at that point, you're meeting the individual.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. And you learn It's not just a name on a piece of paper.

SPEAKER_03

It's not. And you meet this individual and you actually hear the backstory that you never hear as a prosecutor.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_03

You meet the family, you meet the, you know, the friends, you hear the whole, loss, whatever. Right? But you hear the whole story. And then at that moment, I was like, wow, I I think I would have been a better prosecutor had I known that, you know, known this aspect, the human aspect. Right. You know, and I I feel like that's lacking a lot right now to know the human aspect. And so you get invested in these cases. I mean, you know, you know, you get to know these people. Absolutely. You know, and I try to do the best by them. If I being a prosecutor helped because I could see, okay, the evidence is just not in our favor, right? Um, I had this one client kept telling me that the drugs was um Chinese candy. I was like, we all know it's not, right?

SPEAKER_02

It's Chinese candy. Yeah, it was Chinese candy.

Seeing The Human Story

SPEAKER_03

Okay, we all know it's not. Um but having the perspective of both helps me speak with my clients and explain the system because lots of times people have no idea how the system works.

SPEAKER_02

They do not. They do not. And that's kind of our job. Our job is always to kind of inform them of hey, how this is how it works. And given that you have that perspective is hey, I was a prosecutor. Like I used to prosecute these kind of cases. I know how this works. Yeah. You you you have that.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. And so it also helps, you know, as we're going through hearings or trials, because I know exactly what to expect coming my way. You know, and now as a defense attorney, I'm able to use that, you know, because every time as a prosecutor, they always tell you, you're always ready, you're always ready. Right? Don't ever say you're not ready, right? Right. Unless you're pushed really to trial. And so now as a defense attorney, I'm like, I'm always ready too.

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_03

Right. And you know why? Because I'm not the first person who has to speak. The prosecutor does. They have to pick the jury first. Right. Right. So I have time. I have time to collect myself, right? You know, to get it done.

SPEAKER_02

Right. And then you have that background, you know, in improv to where I mean you're ready to go on the fly if need be.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. You know, and then in the criminal world, we live and die by the rules of evidence. Right. I learned that in family law, uh, not so much.

SPEAKER_02

Not so much of an art. That's a different beast that's a different stuff. So we're up against our break. Um time flies, but when we come back from the break, we're going to talk to Miss Legaretta about her campaign for district attorney.

SPEAKER_01

The attorneys of BRIC 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 Brick Criminal Defense to see our reviews and find out why so many of our clients have trusted us to fight for them. Brick Criminal Defense, helping our clients move on with their lives.

Break And Firm Message

SPEAKER_02

And we're back with Miss Veronica Legerata. She is a candidate for Bear County District Attorney. So uh you're a defense attorney, but you also work as a city magistrate. Is that the case? That's correct. Yes, I do. So uh just briefly, what does a city magistrate do?

SPEAKER_03

So when an individual gets arrested, the very first person they see is the magistrate judge. We make sure they know their rights. You know, we tell them the charges that they have, the range of punishment, um, give them some information, get some information from them. Um nothing pertaining to the case because they do have a right to remain silent, but more of do they want a court-appointed attorney? You know, things like that. Um and then they go on through the booking system.

SPEAKER_02

You're kind of making sure their rights are protected.

SPEAKER_03

Correct. And we also review um the police reports to make sure there's probable cause to proceed with the case. And we also review blood warrants, arrest warrants, search warrants. Sure. They sign off on those.

SPEAKER_02

So you've seen the system from the perspective of a prosecutor, from the perspective of a defense attorney, and from the perspective of, you know, a neutral magistrate. So what uh how has that changed your view on the criminal justice system?

SPEAKER_03

Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. Oh, it's it has educated me so much and it's changed the way I see everything because when you initially get it, you know, I have to say, did this officer follow the law or was something missing? And I have found that there are some instances there was an officer who kept bringing me blood warrants, and just so people know what that is, when you get pulled over for a DWI, if you do not give a breath test, they can get a warrant to get your blood. Right. And um something was off about it, right? He was just kept bringing them and bringing them, and so finally I was like, bring me the police report, let me see this. And he was a Spanish speaker, so I called the officer and I was like, Do you speak Spanish? And he told me, enough.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03

And I was like, that's enough is not the law. Right. Right. And so I started paying a lot more attention to cases and how prosecutors were letting them slip by. Right. Right. Just basically signing off on a lot. Yeah. And um I was very grateful to have that uh and I to still have the opportunity to review the cases and be like, no, this is this is not smelling, you know, the sniff test, right? Um it's not it's not gonna pass here. And so I I feel like I have the opportunity to actually do something to help.

A Mental Health Platform

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean, you know, the thing about the criminal justice system is the system only works if everybody acts with integrity and does their job. Exactly. I mean, if we're asleep at the will, then the system just doesn't work for people. And and you know, we're talking about situations where people could be deprived of their liberty, lose a job, you know, whatever the case may be. So it's good to have people who are saying, no, no, no, I'm checking up on this just to make sure that everything's okay.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and actually being a magistrate um gave me an idea for one of the biggest things I have for my platform. Um during the time when I was working, because I worked the overnight ship from 10 p.m. to six a.m. Okay. They brought this older African American lady in and she was in a wheelchair. But um, I was reading the police report and she was living in a nursing home, and her son decided, I can't afford it, she's gonna live with me. Uh but he sent an Uber to pick her up. Okay. And I mean, she's older, she's already on the onset of dementia. Right. She had no idea what was going on. Right. Right? All she thought was they were trying to remove her from her home.

SPEAKER_02

Right. She's being abducted.

SPEAKER_03

So instead of helping her, they arrested her for criminal trespass. Right. And I read it and I said, Absolutely not. Nope. Mm-mm. So they brought her into the courtroom and I sat down with her and I explained what was happening. You know, I rejected the case, and I was like, the officer's gonna take you to your son's house right now, you know. And he kind of looked at me and I was like, and you're gonna call me when you get there. Um and at that point I realized there are some people um with mental health, yes, mental health issues, their family calls for help, right? Right. And they never meant to create a criminal. That's true. They needed help. That's right. But the individual's going through their episode and you know, um they start flailing or they're upset, they're angry, and they get arrested. Right. And so they get booked into the county, and now you have a criminal, they're trying to manipulate like work their way through the county's.

SPEAKER_02

You know, now they're in the system.

SPEAKER_03

They've lost whatever um resources they've had because they have this criminal record. And I was like, why are we doing that? We we don't need to do that. You know, we have nurses at the police station for the blood draw warrant, so why don't we make sure that they're uh mental health certifications that that they have them? You know, we also do a six-hour hold for people who are drunk to sober up and then we release them. So let's do a six-hour mental health hold. Right. Right? Let's do a true assessment, see if they just need to get back on meds, give resources to the family, and then release the individual back to their family.

SPEAKER_02

Well, and you said this is uh a big part of your platform, so let's talk about that. You're you're running for Bear County District Attorney's Office. Why did you decide to do that?

SPEAKER_03

Uh, you know, being in the courtroom, um, for anybody who watches football, uh, you know, you see a team, right? Your team, and you're like, what are you doing? Get the ball and run.

SPEAKER_02

I'm a Cowboys fan, so I do that all the time. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Well, I was a lot, I'm a long horn fan, and so this season has been rough on me. Uh but I felt that way watching the prosecutors.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Right? They were they were stumbling and and you could see that they really wanted to do what was right, but they were scared of what their supervisors were gonna say. Right. Right. Um, I don't believe that justice exists anymore in the Bear County Courthouse. Every once in a while you see it with a just verdict, or when the defense and the prosecutor come together and work a case out for what's right by the case.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

Why Run For District Attorney

SPEAKER_03

But it's just not a safe place for justice to live. And so I decided I was like, I want to help. I want to make changes to bring justice back. I want to make changes to make sure we have a balanced system, not just convictions, not just, you know, dismissals because we don't have enough manpower. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Well, and I I think, you know, my uh former co-host, Scott Simpson, was always fond of saying that Texas is unique and that in Texas a prosecutor's role is to see that justice is done, not to merely seek justice, but to see that justice is done.

SPEAKER_03

Correct.

SPEAKER_02

And so, you know, that's uh what uh uh as a DA, that would be one of the obligations that you would be imposing on the other prosecutor.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. Absolutely. I want to make sure that justice is done. Not that we're just trying to win a case. If the case merits a dismissal, so be it. Um I want to make sure that the prosecutors know hey, if you can back up your decision for this case, I have your back. Okay. Right? I don't want them to feel they're being micromanaged. I don't want them to feel like they can't do what's right by the case. Right. Right. And that's what's happening right now.

SPEAKER_02

And so um you've Had a series of debates where they've asked you some policy questions and they've only given you a minute to respond. Are there any uh policies that you'd like to discuss or that people need to know your positions on?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, absolutely. Um, you know, family violence was has always been a big topic.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Um and the victims are not being contacted. You know, I had an individual who um she was choked by her the father of her or baby, and he picked up charges. One unit, the family um justice, and you know, they issued a protective order. But yet the family violence unit dismissed his case.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03

Without telling her, they told her she was, you know, you seem to be unstable. We think the defense attorney is gonna tear you apart. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

So I really think that we need some sensitivity training on how to speak with with victims.

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_03

You know, and just because you think the case is hard does not mean you need to dismiss it.

Victims, Dismissals, And Training

SPEAKER_02

Well, and and just so people know, um a lot of people who watch the podcast aren't attorneys or in the legal field, a family violence protective order is a quasi-civil criminal type of order, but it it's not a conviction. Correct. Um it's just something that says you have to stay away from this person for a finite period of time. You know, uh a temporary order, it could be 90 days or whatever the case may be, more permanent order it could be two years, but it's not a conviction. It doesn't lock this person up. Correct. You're still in the community.

SPEAKER_03

Right. It could be for like also a lifetime, right? Um, which is why I also think being a civil attorney is so important because um there are civil aspects that people don't know exists, right?

SPEAKER_02

Well there's a civil section at the DHC. There is.

SPEAKER_03

There is a whole civil section that gets overlooked, right? Um except I'd be right now, right, they're in the news for uh for mess ups. But um there's 13 divisions right now, right? But all we've ever spoken about in debates is the family violence unit. You know, and one of the things I've pointed out in the debate is being a magistrate judge, I have learned that um, you know, you could be in a fight with your husband, your wife, your kid, a partner, and a neighbor calls and the police show up. And it turns out the policy is like if we get called out there, someone's getting arrested. Right. Right? And the victim's like, I'm not a victim, I'm not gonna help you, I'm not, don't take pictures of me. But the person still gets arrested, booked, and becomes a criminal. Right. Right. So what I'm proposing to do is in those cases where the victim's just like, no, let's reject that case for further investigation, then reach out to the the victim and see what really happened and if that's really what they want to do. Okay. Right? Because right now we are having such a huge amount of family violence cases being dismissed, or um, the defense, I mean, they're just rolling over the prosecutors with not guilties because they're forcing cases where you have um a victim who's like, Look, I'm not a victim, right?

SPEAKER_02

That's what can make the family violence cases tough. You know, we've discussed that before is that and being on the defense side, I I've seen this side of it where I have the complaining witness or the victim who says, Look, we went out last night, we we had a little too much to drink, we got home, we started yelling at each other, neighbor called 911, my husband got arrested, he's gonna lose his job. Yep. We're, you know, gonna get behind on our mortgage. Uh either's a protective order in place or there's a uh bond condition that says he can't come home. I don't know what to do, we have the kids. They're very complicated and difficult cases for that reason.

SPEAKER_03

They are. And we need to go ahead and actually take the time to figure out which ones um we prosecute and which ones we don't. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02

Whi which people are actually in danger.

SPEAKER_03

In danger, and which ones, you know, are maybe are truly a misunderstanding. Right. You know. Uh another thing I've learned is that a lot of police officers they've come to me and they go, you know, I feel like a lamb being sent to slaughter in trial. Um the prosecutors are ill-equipped, they're not properly trained, not only in trial, but in criminal law and evidence. Okay. Right. And so what I would like to do is have a training police officers and prosecutors at the same time. So we're all on the same page. Right. You know, what does a police report need? What are the elements? You know, what do um So do they not have that right now?

Joint Training And Intake Fixes

SPEAKER_02

They don't have somebody from the DA's office going down to like SAPD or Bear County Sheriff's. They used to. Oh, okay. They used to. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Um, you know, and um you know, some people said, well, we should have a prosecutor at every substation. We can't even have enough prosecutors to have in courtrooms. So we cannot do that.

SPEAKER_02

There's a shortage as it is. Right.

SPEAKER_03

We could not do that. But if we have training with both, you know, not only for how to do the police report, but also how to present evidence, you know, that would be better. Um and also to have what we used to have when I was back in the district attorney's office was it the prosecutor of the week, right? Where the police could call that prosecutor and say, I have questions.

SPEAKER_02

Sure.

SPEAKER_03

You know, so let's have that, right? And not to mention we do have prosecutors at uh the magistrates, you know, at the sa at the auxiliary jail and Bear County. So if overnight they have questions, just go in and talk to them. They're there. You know. Another thing I'd really like to do is start a part-time program for the intake section. We have uh attorneys who are first-time parents, right? And they can't work 40 hours a week but they want to work. Right. We also have attorneys who want to retire, but they still need some source of income.

SPEAKER_02

They kind of want to wind it down.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. Right. So let's go ahead and take their strengths and their knowledge and let's put in a part-time program to help the intake from misdemeanors. Oh, interesting. You know? And so this way um we're moving the cases quicker.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Being a little more flexible in terms of that that may address some of those uh those backlog or s shortage issues.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, because you can take 10 full-time prosecutor spots and turn it into 20 part-time. Right. Right. And so here you go, you're you're creating more jobs, right. You know, and you're moving the cases quicker than they are now. Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. And you're freeing up your full-time prosecutors to get to the courts and to also uh work on the more serious cases where maybe we need um, you know, testing or DNA or following up with, you know, murders, capital murders, aggravated assaults, felony cases, or the misdemeanors, you know, the thefts from HEB. They we can have our part-time prosecutors take care of that.

How To Learn More And Vote

SPEAKER_02

Right, right. So if people want to learn more about you and kind of your positions, how do they do that?

SPEAKER_03

Uh well they can go to my website, okay. VoteVeronica.com.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Now is it the number four?

SPEAKER_03

Uh vote Veronica.

SPEAKER_02

Just vote Veronica. Vote Veronica. Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Um, that's never been taken before.

SPEAKER_03

No, surprisingly. Yeah. Yeah. You would think it would, right? But it's uh, you know, I was very surprised, but you know, we jumped on that, so we took it. Um you know, four is very important because I'm number four on the ballot. Okay. So I like to say Veronica for DA, Veronica for Justice, and Veronica for you.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. So it's voteveronica.com.

SPEAKER_03

Correct.

SPEAKER_02

And then uh do you have any kind of social media, anything?

SPEAKER_03

We do. We have Facebook and we have an Instagram. Uh that one's a little bit longer because vote Veronica was taken for those.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

Uh but it's Veronica Legaretta for DA.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. And so you are on the Democratic ballot.

SPEAKER_03

I am.

SPEAKER_02

And we're currently in early voting.

SPEAKER_03

We are.

SPEAKER_02

So if you've liked what you've heard today, uh she is number four on the ballot. Um when is the actual date for the primary? It's March. March third. March third. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So today and tomorrow are the last days. Other last days for early voting. And then Tuesday is the big day. So come on out. You will cease the one in one of my shirts, the white shirt that says Veronica Legretta for district attorney. They have all the information on me. They will even call me from the polls if you have questions. And I will talk to voters and answer whatever question they have.

Closing And Subscribe CTA

SPEAKER_02

So, as far as you're aware, are you the only candidate on the ticket who has been a judge, uh, prosecutor, and a defense attorney? Yes. Wow. Okay, interesting. Well, well, we appreciate Miss Legaretta coming on. You've heard her experience. And again, that's uh voteveronica.com. She's number four on the ballot. I appreciate you coming on. Thank you. So you got arrested.

SPEAKER_03

I actually like really enjoyed my time here with you.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you're welcome back anytime.

SPEAKER_03

Well, thank you you know, I I'm I may just show up. So be careful what you say.

SPEAKER_02

All right. Thank you for listening. This is So You Got Arrested.

SPEAKER_00

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 brckdefense.com.