Tovar pre-trial hearing reset

A pre-trial hearing for Waelder Mayor Roy Tovar, accused of deadly conduct for discharging his firearm in July, has been reset for Nov. 29.

Tovar was arrested by the Waelder Police Department on Saturday, July 1, and charged with the third-degree felony. According to the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office, Tovar was assessed a $15,000 surety bond and was released on Sunday, July 2.

The Waelder Police Department confirmed the arrest and declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but stated they had forwarded it to County Attorney Paul Watkins, who also declined comment, citing his office’s policy regarding pending cases.

Tovar was later indicted by a Gonzales County grand jury, which found enough probable cause to believe a felony occurred and returned a true bill against Tovar.

An individual is considered to be innocent in the eyes of the legal system until he or she has been proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.

Deadly conduct discharge of a firearm is a third-degree felony punishable by a sentence of two to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Institutional Division and up to a $10,000 fine.

A convicted felon is disqualified from holding office in the state of Texas. To be qualified to hold office as a mayor of a Type A city (like Waelder) in the state of Texas, a person must have been a resident of the state one year prior to filing deadline and a resident of the city one year prior to election day. They must be at least 18 years of age and be a registered voter.

In order to be a registered voter, a person must not be finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, must either have fully discharged the person's sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or have been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote.