HOUSTON – Supporters and members of the John Hernandez family demonstrated Monday afternoon against the mistrial of Terry Thompson.
A judge declared the mistrial on Saturday after the jury deadlocked in the first murder trial. On Monday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Thompson would receive a new trial for the homicide of Hernandez.
Thompson and his wife, Chauna, a former Harris County deputy, are each charged with murder in connection with the death of John Hernandez after a May 28, 2017, confrontation outside the Denny’s restaurant on Crosby Freeway in northeast Houston.
Members of the Hernandez family said the mistrial was unfair, grueling and painful for them to relive again. The family said Hernandez's mother was recently hospitalized and a retrial will put the family through the pain of the first trial once again but they’re optimistic.
“Today I’m feeling good that justice is on our side, that they’re gonna go ahead and give it another try, give another trial because it felt really unfair to us on Saturday. We were heartbroken,” said Wendy Maldonado, John’s aunt.
Outside the Harris County Civil Courthouse in downtown Houston on Monday, dozens gathered with signs and demanded the district attorney seek justice for Hernandez.
"We continue to stand alongside the Hernandez family in seeking #justiceForJohn.
"The last two weeks have been grueling for them and we know that a retrial will have them once again go through the motions of having to relive the entries tragedy.
"We hope that the prosecution gets more time to prepare this time around and that at the end of the day, the Hernandez(es) and the community get the justice they deserve," said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL.
The crowd marched around the courthouse and ended in front of the DA’s office blocks away.