GUILTY TX - Kayla Gomez-Orozco, 10, Bullard, 1 Nov 2016 #2 *Arrest*

[Niner]

Tuesday, June 11th:
*Jury Selection continues (Day 3) (@ 8:30am CT) - TX - Kayla Gomez Orozco (10) (Nov. 1, 2016, Bullard) - *Gustavo Zavala-Garcia (24) charged with capital murder. DA will seek the DP; held on $10M bond & Immigration Detainer.
The trial was set to start March 18, 2019, delayed to 7/15/19.
Jury Selection on 6/6 & 6/10. Final Pretrial hearing on 7/11. Trial date scheduled on 7/15/19.
6/6/19 Jury Selection Day 1: No info available. Jury selection continues on 6/10.
6/10/19 Jury Selection Day 2: No info available. Continues maybe to 6/11.



@cybervampira - can you get into Smith County for Texas? I can't.... and no I don't have a link....

 

[Niner]

Until I hear different - I shall keep posting this....

Wednesday, June 12th:
*Jury Selection continues (Day 4) ?? (@ 8:30am CT) - TX - Kayla Gomez Orozco (10) (Nov. 1, 2016, Bullard) - *Gustavo Zavala-Garcia (24) charged with capital murder. DA will seek the DP; held on $10M bond & Immigration Detainer.
The trial was set to start March 18, 2019, delayed to 7/15/19.
Jury Selection on 6/6 & 6/10. Final Pretrial hearing on 7/11. Trial date scheduled on 7/15/19.
6/6/19 Jury Selection Day 1: No info available. Jury selection continues on 6/10. 6/10/19 Jury Selection Day 2: No info available. Continues to 6/11.
6/11/19 Jury Selection Day 3: ???? Continues to 6/12.

 

[Jim_M]

It appears that the trial date (7-15-2019) has been cancelled, along with all of the jury selection dates??? Is all of this correct?!

http://judicial.smith-county.com/PublicAccess/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=1573763


Case No. 241-0058-17
Register of Actions
Case No. 241-0058-17
THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. GUSTAVO ZAVALA-GARCIA §
§
§
§
§
Case Type: Adult Felony - Filed by Indictment
Date Filed: 01/23/2017
Location: 241st District Court
Party Information

Attorneys
Defendant ZAVALA-GARCIA, GUSTAVO
Male White
DOB: 07/04/1992
5' 8", 170 lbs JEFF L. HAAS
Court Appointed
903-593-8338(W)

J. BRETT HARRISON
Retained
903-595-3573(W)
SID: TX50512380

State THE STATE OF TEXAS

JACOB PUTMAN

JACOB PUTMAN

Charge Information
Charges: ZAVALA-GARCIA, GUSTAVO
Statute Level Date
1. CAPITAL MURDER
19.03 (a)(2) Capital Felony 11/01/2016


Events & Orders of the Court

OTHER EVENTS AND HEARINGS

//[DBM - Prior 3 years of Motions & Orders]
(Let me know if you want the entire file)//


05/02/2019 Order
05/16/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
05/30/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
06/05/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
06/05/2019 Subpoena Request
06/06/2019 CANCELED Jury Selection (8:30 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
06/06/2019 Subpoena Issued
06/10/2019 CANCELED Jury Selection (8:30 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
07/11/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
07/11/2019 Suppression Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
07/15/2019 CANCELED Jury Trial (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued

 

[Niner]

Seems right Jim_M! Thank you for all this information. I see a hearing on 7/11. I can't get into Smith County court site, so VERY Much appreciated!

 

[katydid23]

Why is everything cancelled?

 

[Niner]

Why is everything cancelled?

Maybe it's in the "Other Events & Orders" that Jim_M posted above. I don't know & can't access Smith County...

 

[JerseyGirl]

The trial is now set to start at 10 a.m. on March 16, 2020, with jury selection set to start on January 30.

His next court appearance will be July 11.

While there has been no official word on why it was pushed back in this instance, many of the past delays have been due to further testing of DNA evidence.

Kayla Gomez’s accused killer has trial delayed fifth time, set for March 2020

 

[bleuboy]

that poor girls family. I cant even guess what they are going through. I agree the wait will be on the DNA for hair samples. The expert said it could be up to 6 months wait from when they put the last lot of samples in.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, July 11th:
*Suppression Hearing (@ 9am CT) - TX - Kayla Gomez Orozco (10) (Nov. 1, 2016, Bullard) - *Gustavo Zavala-Garcia (24) charged with capital murder. DA will seek the DP; held on $10M bond & Immigration Detainer.
The trial was set to start March 18, 2019, delayed to 7/15/19. Trial for 7/15/19 was cancelled. Scheduled to start 3/16/20.
Court hearing from 8/16/17 thru 3/27/19 reference post #429 here:
Found Deceased - TX - Kayla Gomez-Orozco, 10, Bullard, 1 Nov 2016 #2 *Arrest*
4/4/19: DNA testing is currently underway as both sides prepare to go to trial - but now attorneys for Zavala Garcia have requested a change of venue & to suppress comments made while he was being questioned. They’ve also filed a motion to keep prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
5/2/19 Update: Attorneys have also filed a motion for a change of venue and a motion to suppress statements made by Zavala-Garcia during an interview with law enforcement. Those motions are expected to be considered at a later date. Next pretrial hearing on 5/16.
5/16/19 Update: Next pretrial hearing on 5/30. 6/6/19: Jury selection cancelled for 6/6 & 6/10. Trial on 7/15 also cancelled. Suppression hearing on 7/11.
6/12/19 Update: Jury selection will begin 1/30/20, with trial starting 3/16/20.

 

[NanZDrew]

Here is a news article about it. The article does not say why the trial was delayed. One thing it did say was prosecutors also contend he struck Kayla with and against a blunt object, asphyxiated her and drowned her. This was the first time I heard that she may have also drown while in that well. Originally, that was uncertain, but I wondered about it since they said that her death may have happened later in the night. That is so sick.

Trial for man accused of killing 10-year-old Kayla Gomez-Orozco delayed until March 2020

 

[NanZDrew]

@Niner, here's the docket from the website. All of these are sealed. I remember they were saying they could not give a fair trial without his background from Mexico. Perhaps they are trying to get some discovery from there to make sure they have an air tight case?
03/29/2019 Felony Supplemental Discovery Form
04/04/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
04/08/2019 Motion To Seal
04/09/2019 Original Answer
04/09/2019 Order
04/10/2019 Amended Motion
04/11/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (2:00 PM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.) Result: Hearing Held
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order to Compel
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order Denying Motion
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/11/2019 Order Denying
04/15/2019 Order Setting Hearing
04/17/2019 Motion
04/17/2019 Order
04/18/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.) Result: Hearing Held
04/18/2019 Supplemental Order
05/01/2019 RESPONSE
05/02/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Hearing Not Needed
05/02/2019 Order
05/16/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
05/30/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
06/05/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
06/05/2019 Subpoena Request
06/06/2019 CANCELED Jury Selection (8:30 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
06/06/2019 Subpoena Issued
06/10/2019 CANCELED Jury Selection (8:30 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
06/12/2019 Notice Atty/Arraignment/Trial
06/13/2019 Felony Supplemental Discovery Form
06/21/2019 Subpoena Request
06/21/2019 Subpoena Duces Tecum Issued
07/02/2019 Motion
07/11/2019 CANCELED Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Other
07/11/2019 CANCELED Suppression Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
07/15/2019 CANCELED Jury Trial (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
Continued
08/29/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (1:30 PM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
10/03/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (1:30 PM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
11/21/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
12/12/2019 Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
01/09/2020 Pre-Trial Hearing (1:30 PM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
01/23/2020 Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
01/29/2020 Pre-Trial Hearing (9:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
01/30/2020 Jury Selection (8:30 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
03/05/2020 Pre-Trial Hearing (1:30 PM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)
03/16/2020 Jury Trial (10:00 AM) (Judicial Officer Skeen, Jack, Jr.)

 

[Niner]

Thanks a bunch NanZDrew!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The man accused of murdering a 10-year-old girl in Bullard back in 2016 has plead guilty to the crime, and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 27, of Bullard, was in the 241st District Court Thursday morning to enter a guilty plea for the death of his niece, Kayla Gomez.

The Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman pushed to not seek the penalty, due to new Supreme Court recommendations that he says would have made it difficult to get capital punishment.
BREAKING: Zavala-Garcia pleads guilty in Kayla Gomez murder; will spend life in prison

 

[margarita25]

The man accused of murdering a 10-year-old girl in Bullard back in 2016 has plead guilty to the crime, and will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Gustavo Zavala-Garcia, 27, of Bullard, was in the 241st District Court Thursday morning to enter a guilty plea for the death of his niece, Kayla Gomez.

The Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman pushed to not seek the penalty, due to new Supreme Court recommendations that he says would have made it difficult to get capital punishment.
BREAKING: Zavala-Garcia pleads guilty in Kayla Gomez murder; will spend life in prison

“”Let me be clear, I do not believe that the standard set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court results in justice for Kayla’s family or our community.”

JACOB PUTMAN, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Zavala-Garcia has also waived his right to an appeal. Kayla’s family chose not to give a victim impact statement.”

 

[YESorNO]

Kayla Gomez Orozco

 

[Samaritan]

I live in Smith County and don't think it would have been too difficult to get a jury to return a death sentence for this... thing. Seems like neither Matt Bingham, the previous DA, nor this rookie DA wanted the headache of the trial.

 

[neesaki]

I live in Smith County and don't think it would have been too difficult to get a jury to return a death sentence for this... thing. Seems like neither Matt Bingham, the previous DA, nor this rookie DA wanted the headache of the trial.

ITA.
I’m not familiar with the new Supreme Court recommendations on the DP. Is anyone else?

 

[YESorNO]

ITA.
I’m not familiar with the new Supreme Court recommendations on the DP. Is anyone else?

This article explains:

Here’s why the death penalty would not be feasible for Zavala-Garcia

 

[neesaki]

This article explains:

Here’s why the death penalty would not be feasible for Zavala-Garcia

Ok, I didn't realize he was intellectually disabled. Thanks Y/N !

 

[demetra]

I live in Tyler and attended the vigil for sweet Kayla with my daughter in law because she knew some of her family. This outcome is sad and heartbreaking. IMO
Rest In Paradise Sweet Kayla.