Austin family is still grappling with the unsettling weight of grief and stalled justice, as the case surrounding the murder of their loved one lingers in the judicial system. Miranda Lopez was fatally shot in a road rage incident over three years ago, and her kin are urging for legal proceedings to push forward.
On that fateful evening of Dec. 26, 2020, Miranda was en route home from dining with her sister when tragedy struck at the intersection of East St. Elmo and Pleasant Valley Road, as recounted by J.R. Lopez, her father. "I saw her laying on the ground with her eyes open. And she wasn’t moving. I saw the blood coming out of her head, and I knew at that point, she wasn’t coming home no more," J.R. Lopez told KXAN. Two suspects were arrested in relation to the murder; one, Jonathan Zavala, is currently serving a 15-year sentence post a guilty plea. The case against the other suspect, Manuel Huerta, remains pending as it slowly treks through the courts.
The shift in defense counsels has contributed to the delay. Huerta's current lawyer has only recently taken on the case due to a medical emergency of the predecessor. Former prosecutor turned defense attorney, Alan Bennett, who isn't affiliated with the case, explained that there's no definitive timeline for how quickly cases should progress to trial or plea deals. "A judge has to go through a balancing act," Bennett stated, illuminating the judges' discretionary power in these circumstances.
Meanwhile, retired judge Charlie Baird, now also a defense attorney offered his perspective on the legal strategies involved. Baird's chief worry in granting extensions is the potential for surfacing evidence during a trial that could catch one side off guard, "If the delayed discovery comes about and everyone is made aware of it during the course of a trial, it typically does lead to a mistrial," Baird said.
