A Texas judge, Judge Hilary Unger of the 248th District Criminal Court in Harris County, has sparked controversy by setting bond for the second suspect charged with capital murder in the death of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. Ronnie Palmer, who has been in jail since July with no bond on that charge until now, had his bond set at $3 million for the capital murder charge. In addition, Palmer is facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Esqueda's death, with bond set at $50,000 each.
This move by Judge Unger comes after the release of the first suspect, Dremone Francis, who posted a $1 million bond set in November 2024. The Harris County Deputies' Organization (HCDO) criticized Judge Unger for setting bond for Palmer, calling it a 'disgrace' and expressing outrage over the decision.
