Prosecutors, Investigators Disagreed Then Agreed On Stefon Jackson Case

By ABC-7 Reporter Martin Bartlett

EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso District Attorney’s Office and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office both said one another had it wrong concerning the Stefon Jackson case Monday afternoon.

In the end, it was an information mix-up on behalf of the D.A.’s office that led ABC-7 to incorrectly report that Jackson would face only misdemeanor charges of hindering prosecution/apprehension.

Jackson was arrested April 15 on a charge of hindering the arrest of a fugitive.

The charge stemmed from the April 11 arrest of Willie Harden, Jr., at a West El Paso fast food restaurant.

Harden is Jackson’s cousin and was wanted on attempted murder charges in Pennsylvania, according to Federal Court documents.

Here’s how Monday’s mix-up occurred: According to D.A. Office Spokeswoman Renee Railey, the Sheriff’s Office has presented some of its case to the District Attorney’s office. Upon closer inspection, an aggravating factor that would change the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony had not yet been presented to the D.A.’s office as of Monday afternoon.

The Sheriff’s Office said all along their investigation is continuing and that a complete case has not yet been turned over to prosecutors.

Railey said the District Attorney’s Office can only decide how and if to pursue the case once it has been turned over to their office in its entirety.