The 263rd Criminal Court Judge in Houston has granted two men convicted of violent crimes retrials and released them on bond.
Judge Melissa Morris, who presided over the trials, has granted Patrick Burton, 58, and Aaron Bayne Wright, 46, new trials, and they have subsequently been released on bond, according to FOX 26.
In May 2025, it took the jury less than five minutes to find Wright guilty of burglary and aggravated assault. He was sentenced to 50 years for breaking into his ex-wife’s home in 2021, and shooting her several times while she slept, according to a Mother’s Day post by the Harris County Attorney’s General Office.
The incident happened in the 9800 block of Memorial Crossing in Houston, at around 3:30 a.m., in June 2021.
Wright showed little regard for their children,” ranging in age from 5 to 12 years old,” were sleeping in the house at the time of the offense, ABC 13 reports.
The mother of two is said to be lucky to be alive, while Wright has been released on bond , awaiting a retrial.
In April 2025, Burton received a sentence of 26 years in prison after being found guilty on a felony charge of aggravated sexual assault. After Burton was found guilty, his second charge of aggravated sexual assault was dismissed, according to The Texan.
Burton’s June 2025 release came with no additional surety. Morris allowed his release based on his original bond conditions from January 2020 for $75,000.
“Both victims, one who survived a sexual assault and the other who was shot five times by her ex-husband and left for dead, finally thought they could heal and rebuild their lives after two juries convicted both men and sentenced them to lengthy prison sentences,” Director of Victim Services and Advocacy with Houston Crime Stoppers, Andy Kahan, told CrimeOnline on Saturday.
“[Their hopes] were waylaid by the 263rd District Court Judge [Melissa Morris], who, within weeks after the verdict was read, granted them both a new trial.”
Morris reportedly gave Burton a new trial after a visiting judge denied his defense team’s request for a continuance. She also denied the DA’s request to raise Write’ss bond to $500,000.
“Now both of them have to live in fear once again, wondering why the criminal justice system failed them,” Kahan continued.
“The concern lies with the victims’ safety and the mindset of criminals who have already been found guilty, being, possibly only temporarily, free.”
The DA’s office filed an appeal with the state’s 14th Court of Appeals for the retrial motion.
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[Feature Photo: Shutterstock]
