Judge Stephanie Boyd presided over the 187th District Court docket on Nov. 4, hearing pleas, probation revocation matters and sentencing for multiple defendants.

The most consequential outcomes included a six-year prison sentence for Natasha Elizabeth Morgan following the court’s acceptance of a negotiated resolution on a motion to revoke community supervision; a seven-year prison sentence and a $1,500 fine for Abel Hernandez Jr. after the state proceeded on a single count and the defendant entered a plea; and a 20-month state-jail sentence imposed on James Edward Kellogg after the court found a supervision violation true. The court also found a violation true in the case of Brandon Lynn Banks and continued his probation with amended reporting requirements rather than revoking supervision. Several matters were reset for contested hearings or plea-deadline dates.

Why it matters: These dispositions remove multiple defendants from community supervision and send others to custody, altering supervision caseloads and prompting the need for probation and reentry coordination. The court repeatedly emphasized compliance with reporting and the role of mental-health treatment or specialized caseloads in reducing recidivism.

Key outcomes and next steps

- Natasha Elizabeth Morgan (2024CR1225): Morgan pleaded true to an alleged failure to report. The court followed the parties’ written agreement and sentenced Morgan to six years in prison. Judge Stephanie Boyd confirmed the plea and the waiver of appeal as required by the plea paperwork.

- Abel Hernandez Jr. (case number reflected in the file): The state proceeded on count 6 and waived the remaining counts. Hernandez entered a negotiated plea; the court accepted it and assessed punishment at seven years’ imprisonment, imposed a $1,500 fine, ordered no contact with the complainant or residence with minors, and entered an affirmative finding of family violence and lifetime chapter-62 registration as required by statute and the judgment terms.

- James Edward Kellogg (2025CR001641): The court found violation of condition No. 4 (failure to report) true. After hearing defense argument and reviewing related matters, the court sentenced Kellogg to 20 months in a state-jail facility and recommended therapeutic community programming on reentry.

- Brandon Lynn Banks (2024CR009618): The court found a violation of supervision condition No. 4 true. Under a proposed agreement presented by the parties, the court denied the state’s motion to revoke and continued community supervision with amended reporting conditions intended to increase supervision contact (the record reflects increased reporting and supervision as the remedy).

- Daniel Ramos Balderas (2024CR02985): On a motion to adjudicate, the defendant pleaded not true. The court reset the matter for a contested hearing on Nov. 13 and ordered the parties to make witnesses available (the court noted witnesses could appear by Zoom when appropriate).

Procedural and scheduling notes

- Multiple cases were reset for plea deadlines and trial settings in December and November (examples recorded on the record included dates such as Dec. 3, Dec. 16, Dec. 18 and Nov. 13). Several in-custody defendants were ordered produced for future court dates; other matters were continued to allow additional discovery or to permit counsel to review newly produced materials.

- The court repeatedly urged defendants to cooperate with probation and treatment providers. For several matters where probation or deferred adjudication was discussed, the judge and probation recommended referrals to mental-health services, intensive outpatient treatment, or the Center for Health Care Services when available.

Quotes from the hearing

- On a revocation finding, Judge Stephanie Boyd stated on the record, “Court will find violation of condition number 4 true,” and then described the sentencing options and the parties’ agreement in open court.

- During several hearings the judge emphasized rehabilitation and treatment: “If you don’t follow your medical regimen in the medications, you’re gonna fall off,” and directed defendants to maintain contact with probation and treatment providers.

What to watch next

- Several matters were continued for contested hearings or plea deadlines; outcomes in those future hearings will determine whether additional custodial sentences or deferred dispositions are entered. The court’s emphasis on treatment referrals and supervised reporting will be central for defendants who remain on community supervision.

Sources: Proceedings of the 187th District Court (Nov. 4 docket) — judge and counsel statements recorded on the court’s on-the-record docket call and individual case hearings.