Criminal cases resolved within 30 days increasing in Harris County

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Home surveillance video shows that three minutes after a Houston woman left her home in the Heights, a truck backed into her driveway, a man went into her garage and took her bike and lawnmower before leaving.

"It was a cruiser. As I laughingly say, it was an old lady bike, you know, but it was my bike, and I miss it," said the Heights woman, who asked not to be identified for her safety. "They look like they were pretty proficient at their crime."

Adrian Linares and Ruben Linares were charged with burglary of a habitation for allegedly stealing the woman's property in March, according to court documents.

When looking into the Linares' criminal pasts, 13 Investigates found details of two more very similar cases in the Heights where a garage was left open, and the same white Chevy Avalanche pulled up.

The Linares men were accused of similar crimes in February, one month before the woman said her property was stolen, and earlier in September 2025.

That charge caught our eye because from the time the Linares men were charged with the September burglary to the time they signed a plea agreement, it was just 11 days. It was almost the same amount of time they got in jail, which was 12 days, according to court records.

13 Investigates looked at every case filed with the Harris County District Attorney's Office since 2023 and found the number of people whose cases are resolved within 30 days or less from the date the alleged crime happened is growing.

What that means in some cases is that you could commit a crime on Sep. 1 and know your fate, whether it's a sentence or dismissal, before your next month's rent.

13 Investigates found 9% of overall cases in 2023 were resolved within 30 days. That number has increased to 13% so far this year.

"Being able to keep prosecutors in a type of case longer allows them to make the decisions quicker," Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told 13 Investigates in a sit-down interview.

Teare said he credits the increase partially to having prosecutors who are experienced in the types of cases they are working.

He said the prosecutors know what to look for when they're handed evidence.

The backlog has been on the mind of Harris County residents for years.

Back in 2020, former District Attorney Kim Ogg said, "The backlog is enormous. It's frustrating for victims. It's dangerous for our community."

Earlier in 2026, Teare said the backlog is "under control," and he credits this strategy.

Defense attorney Murray Newman said he's also noticed a difference.

He said he's found prosecutors are providing the defense evidence timelier than ever before, which is a benefit to everyone involved.

"It clears the runway to get the more violent, the more victim-oriented crimes to trial quicker because you don't have these cases that should be resolved blocking the way," Newman said.

13 Investigates analyzed case data from the DA's office to find out which types of cases are getting resolved the quickest.

So far this year, the top five charges most frequently being resolved within a month included possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram, criminal trespass, theft of less than $2,500 with two or more previous convictions, assault of a family member, and theft between $100 and $750. Two of those crimes are felony charges.

Teare pointed out the types of cases being resolved quickly don't require the forensic testing that murders or sexual assault cases do. Since they have what they need in these lower-level offenses earlier, they can be resolved quicker.

"Making a determination about what is the right outcome on that case isn't going to change in two months, three months, four months," Teare said.

Our 13 Investigates team looked at cases resolved in 30 days and found that when it came to the thefts, they were largely from major retailers, with defendants accused of stealing food, clothes, beer, appliances, housewares and beauty products.

We saw multiple defendants with more than 40 prior charges who got just days behind bars, so we wanted to know if that resolution is too fast to be a deterrent.

"In the vast majority of those cases, you're dealing with defendants that have substance use disorder, that have mental health issues. All I could do is put them in a state jail facility for six months and they'd be right back out," Teare said.

Newman said there are many factors involved when determining a case resolution.

"I think that we are expecting a lot of the system when we look to it, to be a deterrent to people that are not necessarily easily deterred," Newman said.

He said the quick movement is a positive for defendants, including not having a case hanging over their heads for a long time.

Teare said it's an effective strategy to keep the justice system moving. But what about for the victims?

The woman in the Heights got her lawnmower back after she said the detective found it at a pawn shop.

But, still with no way to peddle around her neighborhood, she wonders how her case will proceed.

"If they slowed down a little bit, like maybe with this case, they're going to look at the prior convictions and say, 'OK, we're slowing down here and he's not getting out,'" the woman told us.

The Linares men are out of the 30-day window for both their charges filed in 2026, including the alleged burglary at the Heights woman's home. They both remain in jail.

Their attorneys told us they couldn't comment on the cases since they're active.

Adrian Linares' attorney, Chauntelle White, said in part in an email, "Speed alone does not determine whether an outcome was appropriate, and a subsequent allegation should not, by itself, be used to retroactively characterize an earlier case resolution."

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