> At a Glance
> – Judge Sid Harle denied a mistrial request for ex-Uvalde officer Adrian Gonzales
> – A former teacher testified she saw the shooter near Gonzales’ position
> – The defense claimed this detail was never disclosed before
> – Why it matters: The ruling keeps the rare criminal trial on track, with 29 child-endangerment counts at stake
The trial of Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde school police officer, will proceed Thursday after a judge refused to halt proceedings over newly revealed witness testimony.
The Disputed Testimony
On Tuesday, a former Robb Elementary teacher told jurors she spotted the gunman approaching from an area close to where Gonzales was stationed. Defense attorneys argued prosecutors had never shared this detail, throwing their strategy into disarray.
The defense team immediately sought a mistrial, insisting the late disclosure prejudiced their client. They emphasized that Gonzales, who faces 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment, deserved a fair process.
Judge’s Ruling
Judge Harle ruled from the bench Wednesday, finding no intentional misconduct by prosecutors.
> “It was not intentional by the district attorney’s office, it was negligent – and I don’t believe what was testified to in front of the jury resonated enough to significantly affect your trial’s strategy,” Harle said.
He concluded that less drastic remedies protected Gonzales’ due-process rights and ordered the offending testimony stricken when jurors return.
Next Steps
- Testimony resumes Thursday morning in Corpus Christi
- The two-week trial is one of the few in the U.S. where an officer faces criminal charges for alleged inaction during a school shooting
- Gonzales and former police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers charged in connection with the May 2022 attack that killed 19 students and two teachers
Key Takeaways
- Judge Harle denied the mistrial, keeping the historic trial on schedule
- The teacher’s statement will be excluded from evidence
- Gonzales maintains his not-guilty plea to all 29 counts
- The proceedings highlight accountability questions surrounding the law-enforcement response at Robb Elementary
With the mistrial motion rejected, jurors will soon weigh whether Gonzales’ actions – or lack thereof – constitute criminal child endangerment under Texas law.
