Cynthia Garza
Democratic · TX
Cynthia Garza is a longtime Dallas County prosecutor who has led the district attorney's unit that reviews claims of wrongful conviction, after earlier work as a criminal defense lawyer. She says she wants a fair and accessible criminal justice system.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 7 records
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when Andrew Roark was cleared of a 2000 child injury conviction. The case had relied on shaken baby syndrome science that the unit concluded no longer supported the charge.
November 18, 2024
Source: dallascounty.org
Led the Dallas County district attorney's re-investigation that cleared Benjamin Spencer of a 1988 robbery conviction tied to a 1987 killing, after he spent 34 years in prison. Her unit found false witness testimony and evidence that earlier prosecutors had withheld, and she said he was actually innocent.
August 29, 2024
Source: dallascounty.org
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when a judge declared Tyrone Day innocent of a 1990 crime, 33 years after his conviction. Her unit reviewed the case at the request of Day's lawyers, and DNA testing cleared him.
May 24, 2023
Source: nbcdfw.com
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when Martin Santillan was cleared of a 1997 capital murder in Deep Ellum. Her unit agreed with an innocence group that he was actually innocent and worked with other agencies to arrest another suspect.
March 22, 2023
Source: dallascounty.org
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when the office moved to clear Mallory Nicholson of his 1982 child sex abuse and burglary convictions as actually innocent. She called the case a clear example of prosecutors hiding evidence from the defense (a Brady violation).
June 2, 2022
Source: dallascounty.org
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when Quintin Alonzo's murder conviction was finally ruled a case of actual innocence. Her unit checked another man's 2015 confession to the 2001 killing and recommended that Alonzo's conviction be thrown out.
November 4, 2019
Source: dallascounty.org
Led the Dallas County district attorney's wrongful-conviction unit when it moved to dismiss the murder cases of Stanley Mozee and Dennis Allen as actually innocent. Their convictions had been overturned because the trial prosecutor hid evidence that helped the defense.
May 10, 2019
Source: dallascounty.org
Past race Cynthia Garza ran in:
- District Judge, 363rd Judicial District · November 3, 2026 · Dallas County, Texas