Inset left: Daisy Hernandez (McLennan County Jail). Inset right: LucyAnn Sanchez-Miramontez (McLennan County). Background: Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Court in Waco, Tex. (Google Maps).
A Texas woman found herself in custody after allegedly threatening a judge with gun violence during a truancy hearing, according to state authorities.
The woman in question, Daisy Hernandez, 19, faces charges of making a terroristic threat against a public official, as stated by police.
The incident unfolded on Thursday, as detailed in arrest records reviewed by Waco’s CBS and Telemundo affiliate, KWTX.
This hearing took place at the Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Court. During the session, Justice of the Peace LucyAnn Sanchez-Miramontez questioned a relative of Hernandez about the children’s school attendance issues.
As Hernandez’s mother began to respond, the judge’s focus shifted.
Hernandez’s brother reportedly drew the judge’s attention by smiling broadly and silently chuckling, as described in the arrest affidavit. This prompted the judge to interrupt the proceedings, instructing the boy to either stop laughing or leave the courtroom.
That interjection allegedly did not go over well.
“(He) didn’t stop,” the affidavit reads. “Judge told the defendants that she will be taking care of this by sending their mother to jail for 6 days due to ignoring a court order for truancy. Daisy stated aloud to the Judge, ‘You can’t do that.’ Judge responded, ‘Yes I can.’”
Some time passed and the defendant allegedly went on “to yell” at the justice of the peace; Sanchez-Miramontez reportedly became so frustrated she broke her judge’s gavel trying to silence the growing furor by repeatedly pounding it down on her sound block.
Eventually, the irate judicial officer ordered deputies to remove the Hernandez family from the courtroom – which they did.
The defendant apparently took affront to the removal and as she was being escorted out, allegedly said: “I’m gonna shoot this b–.”
“Did she say that?” the by-now confounded justice of the peace said in response to the alleged threat.
Witnesses in the courtroom would go on to provide statements about the incident, according to the affidavit.
“When things calmed down, I asked Daisy why she told the judge she was gonna shoot her,” the affidavit, penned by a deputy constable, goes on. “Daisy stated, ‘I don’t know. I was mad.’”
As it turned out, the underlying incident was eventually settled.
On Friday, Sanchez-Miramontez said Hernandez’s mother was in court to address previous truancy allegations – but ultimately provided documentation her children had started going to school.
“I give families every opportunity and offer them every community resource to comply with court orders,” the judge said, according to KWTX.
The defendant was originally jailed on $5,000 bond, the TV station reported.
The charges against Hernandez do not currently appear on the McLennan County criminal court docket and the defendant is not currently listed as an inmate in the McLennan County Jail.
