Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales released the following statement:
“On September 10, 2020, Jourdyn Parks, a local community activist, was arrested and charged with child abandonment. The case was originally reviewed and accepted at the magistrate’s office by one of our assistant district attorneys and has been assigned to the 175th District Court. After the death of George Floyd and prior to this arrest, my staff and I have met with Ms. Parks, along with other Black Lives Matter activists, on numerous occasions in an effort to establish a dialog on how we handle officer-involved shootings. Among the topics discussed was the status of three such shootings filed and resolved in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
Because of the prior community-based meetings conducted between Ms. Parks and our office and in order to avoid the appearance of any conflict, I am seeking to recuse the District Attorney’s Office from any further involvement with these cases. Additionally, because our office represents the Texas Department of Regulatory Service in Children’s Protective Service matters, I have likewise elected to seek a recusal of our office from any involvement regarding the care of her children.
I have filed a motion to recuse the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office as soon as possible in order to avoid any further delay.”