Opinion ID: 179034
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Recording of Jail Phone Calls

Text: Esparza was moved from death row to Bexar County Jail during the time of the state writ evidentiary hearing. Sergeant Mark Gibson of the Bexar County Sheriff’s office submitted a recording of three phone calls made by Esparza during his stay at county jail. The recording was played at the writ hearing. Esparza identified himself at the beginning of each phone call. He helped arrange a three-way conference call. He spoke to his attorney about the impending court proceedings. He referred to the Supreme Court’s opinion in Atkins as the “2002 case.” Esparza boasted that his attorney was very good and had gotten other inmates off death row. Esparza recounted to another person what his attorney had told him about the need to postpone the hearing. In one phone call, Esparza was advising another inmate’s family regarding that inmate’s civil suit against jail officials. Esparza also informed one person that he could only have visitors on Mondays and Wednesdays. He complained that the phone cards were unfairly charging too much money for the minutes provided.