Friends of a Fort Worth community activist are waiting for him to be turned loose from the Tarrant County jail.
Friday, Manuel Mata was hauled out of the Tarrant County courtroom where the Aaron Dean trial has been going on. The judge tried to put Mata under oath and that's when the problem started.
Mata was out on bond on other charges and when he refused to take the oath, the judge declared his bond was insufficient and ordered Mata jailed.
It turned out that police officers had identified Mata as part of a group who had threatened Dean's family as they left court on Thursday.
The lawyers said they saw Mata in court Friday, sitting uncomfortably close to Dean's family. So, the defense asked to have Mata sworn in which would have meant, as a potential witness, he would not be allowed to sit in the courtroom.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD