State dismisses case against William Barnes after witness fails to appear; judge says release may occur at midnight

Judge Stephanie Boyd of the 187th District Court announced that the state will dismiss the case against William Barnes on the prosecutor's representation that a key witness is missing.

The matter, called as "20251824 State versus William Barnes," ended when the prosecutor told the court it would file dismissals and the judge asked whether there were any objections. When none were voiced, Boyd told Barnes, "So they're gonna dismiss your case," and advised, "So, you should be released today. They'll probably release you today at midnight. I have no control over when you're released from custody." The prosecutor later told the court the reason for dismissal as "Missing victim."

In bench proceedings, the judge clarified that the dismissal was premised on the state's inability to present the witness rather than an explicit finding on the merits. Boyd told Barnes, "So, the witness is missing. So my suggestion to you, should you choose to follow it, you need to have no contact with that person. Do you understand?" The defendant acknowledged the instruction.

Court staff said the state would prepare the dismissal paperwork for the judge's signature. No objection to the dismissals was recorded in the transcript and no further motions were taken in that call.

The exchange that produced the dismissal occurred during calendar call and docket management, not after a contested hearing. The judge's comments indicate the court will sign dismissal documents once they are presented.

The record shows the state attributed the dismissal to an unavailable witness; the transcript does not record any further factual findings or admissions by parties about the underlying allegations.