Austin's Travis County Attorney Delia Garza has made a call for the University of Texas and the state government to seek peace as the strain of recent protest arrests weighs on the local criminal justice system. During a statement on Tuesday, Garza described the law enforcement response to protesters as "concerning" and emphasized the need for alternative solutions that permit safe and peaceful demonstrations, according to CBS Austin.
"I'm trying to strike a balance in the concerns that the university has, but also believe firmly that people should have the right to have their voice heard," Garza told CBS Austin. With a total of 79 protesters arrested at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday, Garza highlights the system's inability to maintain such a pace, stressing that jailing people on low-level charges like criminal trespass could lead to greater public safety issues. This comes in a week where the arrests have surged to almost double the usual intake for the Travis County Jail.
Delia Garza criticized the use of resources to process the high volume of arrests, where a team is required for each case, leading to potential delays in other important legal matters. The arrests after a Monday protest have brought significant attention to the administration's approach to handling such events and the possible infringement on First Amendment rights. Garza fears that continued arrests could lead to further escalation, she explained in a report by CBS Austin.
"It is not the role of the criminal justice system to jail people for conduct that has not yet occurred, or might occur," Garza said, criticizing assistance efforts by law enforcement to suppress nonviolent demonstrations. While these misdemeanor cases remain open, the office is pushing to release individuals as swiftly as possible, with some already obtaining bonds especially when no prior criminal record is identified, as detailed in an interview with KVUE.
The sheriff's office, already accustomed to high volumes of daily bookings, acknowledged the current extra burden but stated that it wasn't without precedent. In the face of criticism from Garza and potential delays in the release of protesters, the Travis County Sheriff's Office remains firm that the situation is manageable and that Central Booking is coping with the load.
