AUSTIN, Texas — It will be a while before the cases of Javier Ambler and Michael Ramos are presented to a grand jury.
On July 22, Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said she will not present the cases before a grand jury before she leaves office in December. She said she believes the community has stated it would like to see her successor "oversee prosecution of these cases from beginning to end."
Voters will choose the next DA in November, but the winner won't be sworn in until January, meaning these cases won't be presented to a grand jury until sometime next year.
This is just the latest update in an ongoing discussion of how these cases should be prosecuted – and what footage should be released to the public before they are presented in court.
Here's a breakdown of what has happened so far regarding legal proceedings and footage release in these cases:
June 19
Travis County DA Margaret Moore and Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick announced that their offices will conduct a joint investigation into the death of Ambler, saying they haven't received the information they were seeking from Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody.
RELATED: Travis, Williamson Co. district attorneys announce joint investigation into death of Javier Ambler
June 21
Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk delayed the release of video related to Ramos's case one day before it is set to be released. Cronk said Austin police didn't follow policy regarding the video.
June 30
Moore requested that Austin Police Chief Brian Manley defer administrative action against the officers involved in the shooting that resulted in Ramos's death, saying that such action "could prejudice the criminal case," detailing what is standard procedure in Travis County.
Austin City Councilmember Greg Casar said that procedure should change and the community deserves to know what Manley thinks of the officers' actions now.
July 1
Investigators of Ambler's death said they will no longer release additional video footage from the night he died.
July 2
The Travis County District Attorney's Office said a grand jury will be impaneled on Aug. 11 and will look at the Ambler and Ramos' cases later in the month.
July 22
Moore announced she will not take the cases to a grand jury. Dick said he will proceed with his portion of the Ambler investigation and "continue to assist any prosecutor in Travis County who desires to see justice done."
MORE COVERAGE OF THESE CASES:
- Some Williamson County commissioners call for Sheriff Robert Chody to resign
- A&E cancels 'Live PD' amid ongoing protests against police brutality
- ‘I can’t breathe!’ | Video released from 2019 death of Austin-area black man in deputies’ custody
- Austin Justice Coalition renews calls for Chief Brian Manley's resignation over Mike Ramos shooting body cam footage
- Newly formed JUST America announces support for resignation of Austin police chief
- Man killed by APD officer was unarmed, public safety commissioner says