Melendez v. Salinas

OPINION

YÁÑEZ, Justice.

Antonio Melendez, relator, is an indigent defendant in a pending criminal case in the 92nd District Court presided over by respondent, the Honorable Homer Salinas. Melendez seeks a writ of mandamus directing Judge Salinas to conduct a pre-trial hearing on a motion to replace appointed counsel. We will conditionally grant the writ.

Melendez has been incarcerated in the Hi-dalgo County Jail since Apiri 4, 1993, on a charge of attempted murder. The trial court appointed the Honorable Santos Maldonado to represent Melendez on June 14,1993. On August 10, 1994, the Honorable…