Travis County Judge Finds Due Process Violations in 2013 Conviction and Recommends New Trial

Travis County, TX — On Monday, January 27, 2025, a Travis County Judge in the 403rd Judicial Court signed an order recommending that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals set aside Terrance Caesar’s 2013 Burglary of Habitation conviction and send his case back to the District Court for a new trial due to several serious due process violations.

This matter was handled by the Travis County District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), which investigated the case and ultimately agreed with Mr. Caesar’s attorneys at the Forensic Project Capital Area Private Defender Service that he was entitled to a new trial due to violations of Mr. Caesar’s right to due process. This is the eighth case in which the CIU has determined that a wrongful conviction occurred through its investigative process and recommended that the district court grant relief due to documented due process violations.

Previously, the CIU and Mr. Caesar’s attorneys presented their agreed proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law to the District Court. On Monday, January 27, 2025, Presiding Judge Brandy Mueller signed and adopted the parties’ agreed findings and conclusions, sending the case to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will make the final decision about whether Mr. Caesar will receive a new trial.

The District Court recommended granting relief on the following basic grounds:

• Mr. Caesar’s right to due process was violated, and he is entitled to relief pursuant to Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 11.073 (known as the Texas “Junk Science Writ”) because new scientific evidence establishes that inconclusive and unreliable DNA evidence was relied upon to secure his conviction.

• Caesar’s right to due process was violated because the State suppressed material exculpatory and impeachment evidence, evidence that was largely unknown to prosecutors at the time of his conviction.

• Caesar’s right to due process was violated by the State’s reliance on false and misleading testimony to secure his conviction, again due to factors largely unknown to prosecutors at the time of his conviction.

• Caesar’s right to due process was violated by the admission of misleading eyewitness identification evidence.

“Our Conviction Integrity Unit has a duty to ensure that no person who is innocent or entitled to a new trial due to a wrongful conviction is forgotten in prison,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “In this case and every case, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office has an obligation to ensure the integrity of convictions and seek justice.”

Background and Timeline

On October 26, 2012, a Travis County grand jury indicted Mr. Caesar for the offense of Burglary of a Habitation that took place on July 22, 2012, in South Austin.

On February 27, 2013, a Travis County jury convicted Mr. Caesar of Burglary of Habitation and sentenced him to 18 years in prison.

On March 1, 2013, Mr. Caesar notified his intent to appeal and submitted his appellate brief on July 16, 2013. The Thirteenth Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction on June 12, 2014.

In 2016, DNA experts appointed by the Texas Forensic Science Commission conducted an audit of the Austin Police Department DNA Lab and identified significant problems. Some of the problems found included using an unaccepted scientific method for evaluating DNA, inadequate supervision of analysts, and practices that encouraged suspect-driven bias in their analysis.

On November 20, 2018, Mr. Caesar’s attorneys, Forensic Project Capital Area Private Defender Service, filed an Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus and an Agreed Motion to Stay Post-Conviction Proceedings because new scientific evidence established that inconclusive and unreliable DNA evidence was relied on upon to secure his conviction. An agreed motion to stay post-conviction proceedings was granted on December 3, 2018.

On June 21, 2024, Mr. Caesar’s attorneys filed his Amended Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Memorandum in Support of the Amended Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus.

On July 19, 2024, the State filed its Original Answer to Amended Article 11.07 Writ Application.

On August 2, 2024, the Court signed its Order Designating Issues.

On November 22, 2024, the CIU and the Forensic Project Capital Area Private Defender Service (Mr. Caesar’s attorneys) signed Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law Recommendation Granting Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus and Order to Transmit Habeas Corpus Record and submitted them to the District Court for review. On January 27, 2025, Presiding Judge Brandy Mueller signed and adopted those agreed findings and conclusions, ordering that the clerk prepare and transmit the case to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

TCDA Conviction Integrity Unit

The TCDA CIU investigates prior convictions to ensure that no innocent person convicted in the county remains in prison or has a conviction on their record. The CIU, as established by Travis County District Attorney José Garza in 2021, reviews cases when there is a claim of faulty science or a wrongful conviction from either a person who has a claim of wrongful conviction, a family member, or any other member of the trial team including a prosecutor or defense attorney.

###