The Travis County District Attorney General has publicly condemned Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's promise to pardon Army Sgt. Daniel Perry, who was convicted of fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter protester during the summer of 2020. The incident took place when the protester allegedly pointed an AK-47 at Perry.
Gov. Abbott expressed his intentions to contact the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, recommending they expedite his request to pardon Sgt. Perry following Friday's ruling in court.
District Attorney José Garza issued a statement after the ruling, praising the prosecution team for their efforts: "Our team worked tirelessly on this case with dedication and professionalism," said Garza.
Garza also vowed that under his leadership as District Attorney, he would work towards ending 'prosecution of minorities and impoverished residents' within Texas; however, critics argue that these cases should not be affected by political motivations or external influences such as Soros-backed campaigns.
Texas Justice and Safety PAC have criticized other district attorney campaigns supported financially by George Soros – expressing concerns over what they perceive as undue influence from private funding sources in prosecutorial decision-making processes across various counties throughout Texas.
It remains unclear whether Gov. Abbott will succeed in having Sgt. Perry pardoned or if there will be any significant impact on future prosecutions involving minority communities due to potential changes prompted by these discussions around privately funded district attorney campaigns.