Judge Hilary Unger set bond at $3 million for Ronnie Palmer, who is charged with capital murder in the death of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda
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A Texas judge, who has been described as "rogue" and an activist by the Houston Police Officers' Union, remains under fire after she set bond for the second suspect charged with capital murder in the death of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda.
Judge Hilary Unger of the 248th District Criminal Court in Harris County set bond at $3 million for Ronnie Palmer on Thursday, according to a court document shared by the Harris County Deputies' Organization (HCDO). Palmer has been in jail since July with no bond on that charge until now.
In addition to the capital murder charge, he is also facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Esqueda's death. Bond for those charges is set at $50,000 each.
Unger's controversial move comes one day after the other suspect in Esqueda's murder, Dremone Francis, was released from jail after he posted the $1 million bond set in November 2024.
Judge Hilary Unger set bond at $3 million for Ronnie Palmer, who is charged with capital murder and aggravated assault in the death of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. (JudgeHilaryUnger.com)
The HCDO criticized Unger on Wednesday when Francis was released from jail, and came after her again on Thursday when she set bond for Palmer.
"If you were outraged yesterday, just wait for what Judge Hilary Unger did today. A bond was set for Ronny (sic) Palmer, who is charged with murdering Deputy Fernando Esqueda. We are now beyond outraged, this is a disgrace," the organization wrote on X.
HCDO also shared the court document showing where Unger set Palmer's bond for the charge of capital murder of a police officer at $3 million. Texas law allows for bond denial in capital murder cases.
Though Palmer remains in jail as of Thursday, he now has the opportunity to post bail and return to the streets.
Ronnie Palmer is charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the July 2024 murder of Harris County Deputy Fernando Esqueda. (Harris County Sheriff)
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Following blowback from the community, a defense attorney told FOX 26 Houston on Thursday that Unger was not involved in setting bond for Francis, despite the Houston Police Officers' Union and the HCDO saying that she was.
"They made it very difficult for the judge because she is not the one who had set the bond," said Cheryl Irvin. "The bond was set and nobody objected to it from the district attorney’s office from the previous administration."
Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Fernando Esqueda was shot and killed in July 2024 in an ambush attack, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the time. (Harris County Sheriff)
Local outlets reported that the State of Texas filed for a proof-evident hearing when Francis was arrested in July 2024, which would've made no bond an option. That hearing was supposed to happen within 10 days, but since it didn't, Francis became eligible for bond and his attorney requested it be set. It's not clear why the state did not proceed with the hearing.
"People have rights. Regardless of what you think folks have done, you still have a right. One right is the 8th amendment right to reasonable bail. And the reasonable bail was set for the codefendant, and he made the bail," Irvin said to FOX 26. "Nobody should be objected to that. He’s on house arrest and all the things the judge considered to be proper."
Capital murder suspect Dremone Francis was released from jail in Harris County, Texas, on Wednesday after posting the $1 million bond set for him in November 2024. (Harris County Sheriff's Office)
Unger, who is up for re-election in 2026, is known for letting repeat offenders out on bond and ran her election campaigns on prioritizing "alternatives to incarceration with an eye towards rehabilitation, a reduction in recidivism, and an increase in community safety," according to her campaign website.
"This is not an isolated case. Judge Unger has a history of prioritizing criminals over victims, undermining law enforcement, and making our streets more dangerous," the police union said. "If we don’t stop judges like her now, we will continue to see repeat offenders and violent criminals emboldened by a system that refuses to hold them accountable."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the 248th District Court for comment.
