CLEAT Pushes Back as DA Garza Advances Retrial

AUSTIN, Texas—This morning, the Travis County District Attorney’s office moved forward with a new trial date in the case against Austin Police Officer Daniel Sanchez. CLEAT attorneys were in the courtroom on behalf of our member when the trial date of August 10, 2026, was announced in the 299th District Court. The decision comes less than two months after an appellate court overturned a verdict in the case that the Travis County District Attorney brought against Austin police officer Christopher Taylor and a hung jury in the first trial against Officer Sanchez.

“Jose Garza is doubling down on his efforts to politicize and persecute the men and women who protect the residents of Travis County. While thousands of criminals have gone free since Garza took office, law enforcement officers have been aggressively pursued even after juries and appellate courts have rejected the basis for which the charges were brought. CLEAT’s legal team is poised to continue a rigorous defense of our member, and we stand by him and his family as they have endured years of unnecessary delay and agony. Law enforcement is a difficult profession that involves split-second calculations in life-or-death circumstances, and our 28,000 members across the state stand united with Officer Sanchez,” says CLEAT Executive Director Robert Leonard.

About CLEAT: Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) is the largest statewide law enforcement association in Texas, dedicated to providing legal protection, legislative advocacy, and professional support for law enforcement professionals statewide and consisting of over 28,000 members. With a commitment to protecting the rights of officers and ensuring they have the resources needed to serve their communities effectively, CLEAT stands at the forefront of law enforcement representation. For more information, visit www.cleat.org.

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