What is going on in the case of Jessica Bundren and Justin Hopper? They were arrested back in 2020 but news has been pretty scarce since then.

Looks like Jessica was released in 10/2021. Doesn't look like Justin has been.

Trail pending?

The woman is charged with injury to a child. It blows my mind they aren't going after her for murder. Just look at these allegations:

" Police said Arianna had contusions over both eyes that extended to her cheeks as well as red contusions on her forehead and side of her head and torso. Investigators say the marks appeared to be welts from a belt along with small puncture marks on the child's body. Both her legs were also bruised.

After searching the home, authorities say they found a belt that had a slot on the end with metal rivets. They say the belt's features matched the injuries on the girl.

Bundren admitted to striking the child with a belt for wetting the bed."

It's the same charge and injury to a child is much easier to prove than murder.

Quote:

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Sec. 22.04. INJURY TO A CHILD, ELDERLY INDIVIDUAL, OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, by act or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly by omission, causes to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual:
(1) serious bodily injury;
(2) serious mental deficiency, impairment, or injury; or
(3) bodily injury.

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then further in the statute:

Quote:

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(e) An offense under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) or (a-1)(1) or (2) is a felony of the first degree when the conduct is committed intentionally or knowingly. When the conduct is engaged in recklessly, the offense is a felony of the second degree.

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Quote:

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Sec. 19.02. MURDER. (a) In this section:
(1) "Adequate cause" means cause that would commonly produce a degree of anger, rage, resentment, or terror in a person of ordinary temper, sufficient to render the mind incapable of cool reflection.
(2) "Sudden passion" means passion directly caused by and arising out of provocation by the individual killed or another acting with the person killed which passion arises at the time of the offense and is not solely the result of former provocation.
(b) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) intentionally or knowingly causes the death of an individual;
(2) intends to cause serious bodily injury and commits an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual; or
(3) commits or attempts to commit a felony, other than manslaughter, and in the course of and in furtherance of the commission or attempt, or in immediate flight from the commission or attempt, he commits or attempts to commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that causes the death of an individual.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), an offense under this section is a felony of the first degree.
(d) At the punishment stage of a trial, the defendant may raise the issue as to whether he caused the death under the immediate influence of sudden passion arising from an adequate cause. If the defendant proves the issue in the affirmative by a preponderance of the evidence, the offense is a felony of the second degree.

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EliteElectric said:

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What is going on in the case of Jessica Bundren and Justin Hopper? They were arrested back in 2020 but news has been pretty scarce since then.

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Getting a trial going during the corvid times has been tough. They are now working through the backlog. Expect this to drag on for several more years at least.

According to the court records, their trials are scheduled to start on May 22nd. Justin also has an unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against him. They're both facing 5 to 99 years or life with the possibility of parole after thirty years. Jessica was in jail from October 28, 2020 to October 29, 2021, and Justin has been in jail since October 30, 2020.

mtec said:

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Someone out there doing the Lord's work.

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Indeed!
That's in front of Chik Fil A on Briarcrest and Freedom

Their trials are scheduled to start on October 30th. Justin's been in jail since October 30, 2020, so Jessica's the only one out on bond.

Jessica's trial is still scheduled to start on October 30th, but Justin's trial was delayed and there's no new trial date yet. He's still in jail.

Jessica's trial started Monday, Oct 30 in Brazos County and is now underway. Defense is supposed to begin tomorrow, Nov 2.

Do you know who will be deciding the sentence? The judge or the jury?

I don't know but the trial is scheduled to wind up tomorrow, Friday, November 3. I feel confident she'll be found guilty.
Justin Hopper has a docket call (?) or something for November 17.

She's facing up to 99 years or life. If she gets sixty to 99 years or life, she'll be eligible for parole after thirty years. Otherwise, she'll be eligible for parole after serving half of her sentence.

Yeah the little girl got death though.

With credit for the year she spent in jail before bonding out, she'll be eligible for parole in 2052.

Rather she just ride the lightning. I hope whatever is left of her existence is very hard.

The jury also gave her the maximum $10,000 fine.

lethalninja said:

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The jury also gave her the maximum $10,000 fine.

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I'm sure she's sitting in her cell right now thinking "man, if I had not beaten my stepdaughter to death with a studded belt for wetting the bed, I'd still have that $10,000"

I'm not pro death penalty but damn this is a case where it should have been used. Or maybe life in prison is worse.

That poor innocent little girl beaten to death by someone she was entrusted to. Children are so innocent and helpless. How horrible a situation for her and damn her husband for allowing or encouraging it. Children face so many threats outside the house. The home should be a place for security and love.

I'm a little more involved in this issue because I knew this person. You would have never guessed that she was capable of this. I think that's what makes it worse. There are monsters that walk among us. Her twin sister probably will never be normal. Absolutely disgusting.

Justin's trial is scheduled to start on May 20th (it was announced in the court records a few days ago).