On Friday, October 20, in a Bexar County courtroom in San Antonio, Texas, an 18-year-old man accused of a May 2022 murder faced an unexpected assault.
Victor Rivas, who was present for a preliminary hearing, was attacked and beaten by family members of the deceased teen victim, after they jumped a partition to approach him.
Ethan Soto, at the time 15, was allegedly murdered by Rivas last year in an act of revenge for a drug robbery. As Rivas waited for the preliminary hearing to start, some of Soto’s family members became involved in a physical confrontation with him. This incident led to chaos and disruption within the courtroom.
Adam LaHood, the attorney representing Rivas, in a statement regarding the condition of his client, mentioned that Rivas would likely be “bruised and swollen,” but fortunately did not suffer other significant injuries. It is yet unclear as to what led to the sudden eruption of violence in what should have been a controlled environment.
Following the attack on Rivas, four individuals were apprehended by the authorities. The Bexar County sheriff’s office has announced that two adult men and two juveniles are now under arrest. These individuals will face charges, specifically for assault and for disrupting court proceedings.
This incident isn’t the only recent case of courtroom disruptions in Texas. In a Houston courtroom last week, family members of a murdered 16-year-old girl tried to attack her ex-boyfriend when he entered a guilty plea for her shooting.
The two incidents, both in Bexar County and Harris County, raise concerns about courtroom safety and security. The fact that family members were able to approach and assault an accused individual in the courtroom brings the efficacy of the security measures into question.