Joshua Davila reportedly lambasted the Webb County District Attorney’s Office in a Facebook post and quit in the middle of the trial of Juan David Ortiz.
“I have officially left the Webb County District Attorney’s office. That is the most unprofessional and toxic work place I’ve ever had to deal with. I do not recommend it. I’m sorry to anyone I let down,” Davila wrote, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Local ABC affiliate KSAT reported that Davila had been in the courtroom questioning witnesses for the first three days of trial, but did not appear in court on Thursday.
Though the murders were committed in Webb County, the case is being tried in Bexar County due to the publicity surrounding the accusations against Ortiz.
The victims are three women and one biological man who identified as a woman, per the New York Post. Prosecutors say Ortiz murdered all four people in September 2018 while they were involved in prostitution. He is also accused of attempting to murder another woman.
Ortiz was a former border patrol supervisor with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The state is not seeking the death penalty; consequently, the mandatory sentence for Ortiz if he is convicted is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The Texan received the following statement on Thursday: “The Webb County District Attorney’s Office can confirm that ADA Josh Davila resigned this morning. This does not affect the prosecution of this case.”
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Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
