The county judge’s criminal justice reform task force has become a criminal justice reform commission with the backing of the Hays County Commissioners Court.
The discussion at commissioners court Tuesday morning began with an agenda item put forth by Precinct 3 Commissioner Lon Shell to formalize the rules and voting membership of the county’s existing Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and rename it as a commission, based on naming convention changes made last week at commissioners court. However, some members of the public viewed Shell’s proposed action as an attempt to quash Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra’s criminal justice reform task force.
Hays County resident David Crowley called the older committee “a defunct group.” Wimberley resident Tara Racine called Becerra’s task force “a new, unified effort” that seeks financial responsibility and new solutions.
“There needs to be a new direction for our criminal justice system,” she said. “And that’s exactly what’s happening with this task force.”
San Marcos resident Jordan Buckley read aloud from a letter to the editor published Sunday in the Daily Record that supported Becerra’s task force over the previously existing committee. Attorney Chevo Pastrano’s letter read in part, “I fully understand it’s easier to talk than to act — and sometimes a recommendation that looks good on paper can be rendered ineffective if key decision makers fail to agree on how the recommendations should be enacted. Accordingly, why on earth would we revive a defunct committee that did not carry the momentum forward — especially when a new and energized task force has already met and is doing the work the committee failed to do?”
“There seems to be confusion that I am proposing that we change anything,” Shell said. “I am proposing that we make it clear and formalize it so that it is effective.”
Shell noted that there are only a few members of Becerra’s task force that are not on the commission and that he saw no conflict or real difference between the two.
“I think what we’re trying to do is create a formalized process to make sure that all the people who should be involved are involved,” he said.
Becerra said that the similarities between the two bodies were why a conversation about them was necessary.
“To bring something back that wasn’t doing anything … does look wasteful,” he said.
Becerra read the list of people on his criminal justice reform task force to see if the commissioners had any problems with anyone on the list. The task force members include the Kyle police chief, the county district clerk, Sheriff Gary Cutler, Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Andy Cable, former chief prosecutor Gary Cobb, Precinct 3 Constable Ray Helm, District Judge Bill Henry, an immigration attorney, representatives from the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center and the county’s resolution center, District Attorney Wes Mau, District Judge Gary Steel, representatives from the adult supervision and juvenile supervision departments, defense representative Pastrano (author of the letter to the editor Buckley read), County Court at Law 3 Judge Tacie Zelhart, Justices of the Peace Beth Smith and Maggie Moreno, Becerra’s chief of staff Alex Villalobos and Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, “who has taken up the invitation I sent to all of you,” Becerra told the commissioners.
Becerra said he wanted to clarify and be transparent to overcome any perception that the task force is a “shady group meeting in a dark room smoking cigars.”
“Is there someone on there that you couldn’t buy in on?” he asked the commissioners. “... The more time that goes on, the more that gets done with this task force. And we weren’t going to sit idle while ideas are talked about. We’re going to keep moving, because there’s much to be done and it’s years overdue.”
‘We had a good start’
Becerra suggested that the commissioners could make some adjustments to the task force and move forward with it instead of resurrecting the old committee – an idea that Ingalsbe bolstered.
“I appreciate your efforts. I appreciate your enthusiasm,” she told Becerra. “The old committee – and I was a part of that – we had a good start. Things were implemented that made a difference. But unfortunately, we went stale for a while. By you creating, reviving, this group has really meant a lot.”
Ingalsbe then said she would be willing to give up her seat on the task force for Shell, and that she would be willing to vote on the task force moving forward as a commission.
“I think you’ve come up with a real good group,” she said.
“I would have no problem turning the task force into a commission that represents the court … if that’s what it takes,” Becerra said. “We’re going to keep going because it’s necessary. It’s essential.”
“Can we have some rules and bylaws?” Shell asked. Becerra said yes.
“I’m results oriented. I have no problem with anything you guys are saying,” Becerra said. “I’m grateful for your efforts and your conversation.”
Shell amended his proposed bylaws to make a motion to convert the current judge’s task force into the Hays County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission and to adopt bylaws.
“These bylaws are going to attempt to tell us who these people are,” he said.
The commissioners worked through several changes to the voting membership, including broadening some of the positions and doing away with the immigration attorney and former chief prosecutor’s positions as voting members. Villalobos objected to the elimination of those two positions, but Shell said those issues could be handled by committees formed by the new commission.
When the time came for the commissioners to choose two representatives to the newly-christened criminal justice body, Shell and Ingalsbe were selected. The bylaws Shell wrote stipulated that if the county judge did not get chosen as a representative, his chief of staff would become a voting member of the commission. Ingalsbe offered to step aside to give Becerra a place on the commission, but Becerra said he had confidence in Villalobos’ abilities and knowledge of the subject matter.
