Aransas County Attorney's Office

09/08/2026

DISTRICT COURT JURY TRIAL

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. ROBERT MILLER

JURY FINDS DEFENDANT GUILTY OF THREE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, THEN GRANTS PROBATION

On September 3, 2026, an Aransas County Jury found Robert Blake Miller, 22, guilty of three counts of Sexual Assault against Jane Doe. Hours later, the same Jury granted him probation for all three counts.

The evidence at trial showed that, on October 29, 2023, the Defendant, his then girlfriend Lizette, and Jane Doe were at the Defendant’s apartment drinking. All three were 19 years old at the time. The Defendant’s aunt provided them with the alcohol. J.D. got to the apartment at approximately 9:00 p.m. It was the first time the Defendant had met J.D. Throughout the night, the Defendant kept making advances on J.D. She repeatedly rejected his advances. On surveillance footage, J.D. can be seen backing away from the Defendant, using her feet to push him off of her, and attempting to create physical space between them. On the same footage, the Defendant is seeing grabbing J.D.’s neck area and pulling her toward him.

At approximately 6:00 a.m. that morning, the Defendant picked up J.D. and proceeded to r**e her while she tried to act asleep. The Defendant’s DNA was found on various parts of J.D.’s body. After the s*xual assault, J.D. ran to tell Lizette about being s*xually assaulted. The Defendant immediately followed J.D. and, in the on-scene words of Lizette, who witnessed the physical assault, proceeded to right hook J.D. repeatedly in the face. J.D. then ran to various neighbors in an attempt to get help. When law enforcement arrived, the Defendant acted like he did not know why law enforcement was there and claimed to not know J.D’s name. J.D. testified at trial and was consistent with what she told both law enforcement on scene and the nurse who examined her. Details of her account where also corroborated by other evidence presented at trial.

At trial, the Defendant attempted to claim that his actions with J.D. were consensual. When asked questions on cross-examination, the Defendant consistently stated that he couldn’t recall certain details of what happened. During closing, the Defense called into question the investigation by law enforcement – that law enforcement hadn’t collected any physical evidence, that the neighbors who called 911 were never identified or interviewed, and that statements were not taken after the fact from the Defendant or Lizette.

The Jury deliberated from approximately two and a half hours before finding the Defendant guilty on all counts of the indictment. Because of these convictions, the Defendant will have to register as a s*x offender for life. The case then proceeded to punishment where the Defendant was facing probation to up to 20 years in prison for each count. Each count was potentially stackable by the Court.

At punishment, J.D testified how the Defendant’s actions had affected her. Two of the Defendant’s friends, Ezekial Hernandez and Joseph Mecum, testified that the Defendant was a good and giving person, and said that the fact that he was convicted of three counts of s*xual assault did not change their opinion of him. Lizette testified that after the charges were pending, she married the Defendant and had two children with him.

The State also asked the Jury to consider that the Defendant s*xually assaulted someone he had just known for hours and who had repeatedly told him no. The State argued that probation was for rehabilitation and that no class or program was needed to each someone that “No means no.” The Defense asked the Jury to consider the Defendant’s family. In rebuttal, the State reminded that the Defendant and Lizette had chosen to start a family knowing that the Defendant could spend up to sixty years in prison for his actions and choices. The Jury deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before assessing probation in each count.

The State would like to thank the bravery of J.D., the hard work of Allegiance Mobile Health Services, and Doctor’s Regional Hospital.

09/07/2026

The Aransas County Courthouse will be closed Monday, September 7 in observation of Labor Day. Regular business hours will resume Tuesday, September 8.

08/14/2026

DISTRICT CORUT JURY TRIALS:

JURIES FIND DEFENDANTS GUILTY OF BURGLARY OF HABITATION AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Over the past couple of months, two defendants have chosen to have an Aransas County Jury determine guilt or innocence but decided to have the Court assess punishment.

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. DAVID WILKINSON

The first is David Wilkinson, pictured on the left. Wilkinson was charged with Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit a Felony. The evidence showed that on January 20, 2024, law enforcement responded at approximately 4:11 p.m. to the area where Wilkinson lived. At the time, Wilkinson was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with a Jolly Roger, jeans that were covered in paint, boots, a ball cap and sunglasses. At 6:25pm that same day, law enforcement responded to a call in the area which Wilkinson lived. There, they found that a victim in the area had been burned by fire on his face and head by two men. Surveillance footage showed Wilkinson (wearing the same items of clothing as before but with his face covered) leading his co-defendant Dathan Faulkner to the victim’s front door. Faulkner had a torch with him.

The surveillance footage showed Wilkinson knocking on the door, luring the victim out of the home so Faulkner could light his face and head on fire. In the video, the two co-defendants walk away, but Wilkinson then goes back and tries to break the door down. Wilkinson also broke a window to try to reach into the door to open it. On June 3, 2026, an Aransas County Jury found Wilkinson guilty.

Sentencing was later held in front of Judge Starr Bauer on June 26, 2026. At sentencing, the Court heard that Wilkinson had extensive criminal history in Louisiana and Texas, in addition to committing other crimes while on bond for this case. Judge Starr Bauer sentenced Wilkinson to 25 years in prison.
Previously, in April of 2025, Wilkinson’s co-defendant Dathan Faulkner pled guilty to his role in this crime and agreed to be sentenced to 15 years in prison.

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. ALLEN LONGORIA

Allen Christopher Longoria is pictured on the right. On August 13, 2026, an Aransas County Jury found him guilty of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The evidence showed that, on October 28, 2025, law enforcement was called by Longoria’s mother. His mother stated that she thought Longoria was overdosing and that she was having trouble with him. In the 911 call, Longoria’s mother stated that Longoria had a very large pipe and was trying to hit her with it. When deputies arrived at the scene, Longoria was wielding a 4-foot pipe that was later determined to be the lever to a hydraulic jack. He asked for deputies to shoot him. When the deputies advised they were not going to shoot him, Longoria tried to negotiate to get the deputies to at least tase him. The deputies were able to get Longoria to drop the metal pipe and were able to restrain him. When EMS arrived to evaluate Longoria, Longoria admitted he had smoked a bowl of m**h.

On scene, Longoria’s mother told deputies that Longoria was banging on a vehicle and she told him to stop. This led to Longoria grabbing a metal pipe, coming at her and saying, “I’m going to hit you, *explicative*.” Longoria’s mother then showed deputies the metal pipe Longoria used to threaten her with. Longoria’s mother filed an affidavit of non-prosecution. At trial, Longoria’s mother changed her story to som**hing completely different from what she told deputies on scene. At punishment, Judge Susan Reed sentenced Longoria to 10 years prison.

We would like to thank the jurors for making their community a safer place. We would also like to thank the Aransas County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in both of these cases.

07/31/2026

07/03/2026

06/25/2026

DISTRICT COURT PLEAS:
LOCAL DRUG DEALERS GO TO PRISON

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. BRIAN DAMON SMITH:
Over the past couple of months, four local drug dealers have been sentenced to prison. On April 17, 2026, Brian Damon Smith, 52, pled to 20 years in prison for possessing m**hamphetamine with intent to deliver. The evidence reviewed by the court indicated that during a traffic stop, the defendant threw a m**h pipe over his car. In Smith’s vehicle was a bag of 56g of m**hamphetamine under the driver’s floor doormat. Smith told officers he would give the m**hamphetamine to women in exchange for s*x.

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. ALLEN SCHAFFER:
On January 14, 2026, Allen Schaffer, 38, known as “Capone,” was found guilty by an Aransas County Jury of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver 4-200g. The evidence showed that an officer was on patrol and saw Schaffer driving. The officer knew Schaffer to have open warrants. Prior to towing the vehicle, an inventory was done of the vehicle. A scale was in the driver’s side door pocket. Stuck under the lower dash console was a piece of plastic baggie that ended up being approximately 12.7g of m**hamphetamine. A punishment hearing was held on April 22, 2026 in which Judge Patrick Flanigan sentenced him to 30 years in prison. At the sentencing hearing, the State put on evidence implicating Schaffer in a burglary, forgery and multiple thefts, as well as other drug cases.

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. BRAXTON MASON
On June 10, 2026, Braxton Mason, 25, pled guilty to possessing multiple substances with intent to deliver, including co***ne and m**hamphetamine. He pled to 18 years in prison for those charges and to 7 years for possessing a fi***rm while being a felon. The evidence stipulated to showed that Mason was stopped for failing to use his turn signal. When Mason exited the vehicle, drug paraphernalia fell out of his pockets. When the officers went to cuff Mason, he took off running and fell in a ditch. In his vehicle were vapes, edible mushrooms, jars of m**hamphetamine, and co***ne in multiple baggies. The gun was found hidden in the vehicle.

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. MICHAEL ESCOBEDO VARGAS
On June 24, 2026, Michael Escobedo Vargas, 42, pled to 12 years in prison for possessing m**hamphetamine with intent to deliver. The stipulated evidence showed that Vargas was the passenger in a car that was stopped for failing to use his blinker. The driver of the car gave Police permission to search the car, and on the floorboard directly by Vargas’ feet a small amount of black tar he**in was found. After being placed under arrest Vargas was transported to Aransas County Jail, and during a standard strip search at the jail a baggie containing over 6 grams of m**hamphetamines was locate in his a**l cavity. Vargas told the jailers, “I was only holding that for someone else.”

Pictured Left to Right on the Press Release Graphic: Brian Smith, Allen Schaffer aka “Capone”, Braxton Mason aka Braxton Manson, and Michael Vargas

06/22/2026

DISTRICT COURT TRIAL OUTCOME

THE STATE OF TEXAS VS. JAMES GOODWIN

DEFENDANT GETS 60 YEARS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INDECENT CONTACT WITH CHILD

On June 18, 2026, an Aransas County Jury found James Goodwin, 39, guilty of one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and two counts of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact. The jury was unable to make a unanimous decision on another count of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.

The evidence at trial showed that that the Defendant was the step-father of AC1329. At night on November 4, 2023, AC1329 was at the Defendant’s home. She was 15 years old at the time. At the Defendant’s home, the Defendant took shots with AC1329 and there were videos of them shot-gunning b**r together. At one point in time, the Defendant provided AC1329 with a shot glass that contained breasts on it and instructed AC1329 to lick it. The evidence also showed that the Defendant provided alcohol to his 12-year-old step daughter as well. AC1329 had to be helped into a bedroom inside of the Defendant’s home because she was unable to stand on her own.

While six other people were sleeping inside of the home at various locations, the Defendant snuck into the bedroom where AC1329 was alone and proceeded to s*xually assault her. AC1329 testified about what she was able to remember from that night. When AC1329 was taken for a s*xual assault exam, there were male bodily fluids found on her body. On AC1329’s breast, two DNA profiles were found, one of which was 227 trillion times more likely than not to belong to the Defendant.

Prior to trial, the Defendant elected to go the Judge for punishment. The range of punishment available to the Court was 2-20 years in each count. The Defendant was not eligible for probation on any of the counts. Additionally, it was up to the Judge whether or not the sentences would be stacked. Judge Boyd W. Bauer assessed the maximum of 20 years in each count and ordered that the sentences run consecutively, meaning the Defendant’s total sentence is 60 years.

The State would like to thank the strength and courage of AC1329 for coming forward, the Aransas County Sheriff’s Office, the Bee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Driscoll Children’s Hospital. We also thank the Jury for seeing that justice was done.

Consecutively:
The sentences are served after the previous sentence has been completed - this is also referred to as stacking.

Concurrently:
The sentences are served at the same time for the amount of the longest sentence.

06/19/2026

The Aransas County Courthouse will be closed Friday, June 19 in observation of the Juneteenth holiday.
Regular business hours will resume Monday, June 22.

06/09/2026

The Law Library computer is now located in the Aransas County Public Library. Now you can access this resource on Saturdays!

05/25/2026

The Aransas County Courthouse will be closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.
Regular business hours will resume Tuesday, May 26.