A Texas appellate court has upheld the conviction of Leonel Noe Torres for two counts of intoxication manslaughter. The Texas Court of Appeals issued its ruling on August 13, 2026, confirming that Torres would serve ten years in prison for each count, with the sentences running concurrently. This decision affects Torres, who was previously placed on community supervision after his initial conviction.
The case began when a jury convicted Torres of intoxication manslaughter, which are second-degree felonies under Texas law. The jury assessed his punishment at ten years for each count but recommended that the sentences be suspended. This meant Torres was placed on community supervision for ten years instead of serving time immediately.
However, the State of Texas later moved to revoke Torres' community supervision, claiming he violated its terms. The State alleged that Torres committed three new offenses and failed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as required. During a hearing, Torres denied the allegations but the court ultimately found one of the violations to be true, leading to the revocation of his community supervision.
The court ruled that the evidence presented during the revocation hearing was sufficient to support the trial court's decision. The opinion stated, "In a revocation proceeding, the State need only prove a violation of a term or condition of community supervision by a preponderance of the evidence." This means that the evidence must show that it is more likely than not that Torres violated the terms of his supervision.
The trial court had the authority to determine the credibility of witnesses and the weight of their testimony. The court found that Torres had not attended the required Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which was a condition of his community supervision. The appellate court noted that even a single violation is enough to support a revocation order.
The ruling was delivered by Justice W. Bruce Williams, with the panel also including Chief Justice Bailey and Justice Trotter. The court found that Torres' appeal lacked merit and agreed with his court-appointed counsel's assessment that there were no arguable grounds for appeal.
In addition to affirming the trial court's decision, the appellate court noted a clerical error in the trial court's judgment. While the convictions were correctly labeled as "intoxication manslaughter," the judgment inaccurately cited the statute for the offense. The court corrected this error to reflect the accurate Texas Penal Code section related to intoxication manslaughter.
The ruling has implications for Torres moving forward, as he will now serve his ten-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. This case illustrates the serious consequences of violating terms of community supervision, particularly for offenses involving intoxication and manslaughter.
As for what happens next, Torres has the option to file a petition for discretionary review under Texas law. This means he could seek further review of the appellate court's decision, although details on whether he plans to do so were not available in the court filing.