Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales’ second-in-command, first assistant criminal district attorney Christian Henricksen, is leaving the office April 26.
Henricksen has been with Gonzales since the latter was elected in 2018 on a platform of restorative justice. He played an integral role in the office’s cite-and-release program, which keeps non-violent, low-level offenders from serving time in jail.
A statement from the District Attorney’s office credited Henricksen for “implementing many of the innovative initiatives” that been hallmarks of the Gonzales administration, including “the expanded use of specialty courts.”
Progressive criminal justice reforms have made the office a lightning rod in recent years, fueling an expensive political challenge to Gonzales in 2022 and ongoing legal threats from the state. Nevertheless, Gonzales was reelected with 56% of the vote and his term runs through 2026.
Earlier this year, Henrickson drew attention for his close personal involvement with the the Austin-based criminal justice reform group Wren Collective. An investigation by KSAT raised questions about whether that group had excessive access to the DA’s office.
In a joint statement, Henricksen called working with Gonzales “the highlight of my career,” while Gonzales called Henricksen a “true and loyal friend.”
Henricksen cited in his resignation letter the work he’s done to highlight the issue of low salaries in the DA’s office, which he called a “critical” problem.
“I have an opportunity I cannot pass up and, as my children get closer and closer to college age, that becomes more and more important,” Henricksen said in the letter, which did not say what his plans are after leaving the office.
