Hidalgo County sees progress in clearing COVID-era case backlog

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios says a years-long case backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may finally be winding down, as more cases are now making their way to trial.

Palacios told ValleyCentral that his office is seeing a significant shift in how quickly cases are moving through the court system, helping to ease jail overcrowding and bring swifter justice to victims.

“These cabinets were full of files and now we are at a point where we have only some old jail cases, some no bills, but at one time all these were full,” said Palacios.

At the height of the pandemic, courtrooms were closed and jury trials came to a halt. As a result, thousands of criminal cases stalled, with some remaining unresolved for up to six years. But now, Palacios says the situation is improving.

He credits new strategies and increased cooperation among judges, along with oversight from the Texas Office of Court Administration, for helping to move cases forward.

“One court actually had two cases going, and she asked another judge to hear one as she was hearing one of them, so we moved two cases out of one court,” said Palacios. “I think they are working together really well, our border judges, and that is why we are moving these cases along.”

Palacios said his office used to process indictments for up to 500 people per week. Now, that number has dropped to roughly half, which he says makes the workload more manageable.

“As soon as we start slowing down our indictments, which is now, that’s where we are now, then we will start seeing that effect,” Palacios said.

According to the district attorney, Hidalgo County is currently meeting the state requirement of a 90% case disposition rate, and is now at 92%.

Despite the progress, around 90 cases are still set for trial, and Palacios acknowledges there is more work to be done. He’s asking victims for continued patience.

“I know that you have been getting calls to come in. I just met with a victim yesterday that had a pending case since 2022, and she was a bit upset with me,” Palacios said. “But you know what—we are trying to get there, we are getting there, and hopefully get them some justice. We do care about our victims.”

Palacios estimates it could take another six months to a year before the backlog is completely cleared.