A new Texas law, Texas Proposition 3 (a constitutional amendment that took effect January 1, 2026), is being applied for the first time locally in Austin to a high-profile capital murder case.

According to Fox 7 Austin, Prosecutors have filed a motion asking a judge to deny bail entirely for 38-year-old Thomas Vences, who is charged with the capital murder of Caldwell County Deputy Constable Aaron Armstrong. On January 4, 2026, around 2 a.m., Armstrong — working an off-duty security job outside a North Austin nightclub — was shot and killed in what Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis described as an “execution” in the parking lot.

Under Proposition 3, judges are required to deny bail for defendants charged with certain serious violent or sexual felonies (including capital murder) if prosecutors file a motion and meet the evidentiary requirements. Vences is currently being held in Travis County Jail on more than $2 million bond, with a hearing on the bail-denial motion scheduled for April 7.

Bail attorney and Professional Bondmen of Texas board member Ken Good explained that this provision shifts more accountability to prosecutors: if bail is not denied, it will be clear it’s because the district attorney chose not to file the motion. Good noted that early cases like this will help courts establish standards for the new rule, and he believes judges are trending toward prioritizing public safety.

The article describes this as the first local test of the new constitutional amendment in Travis County. Watch Mr. Goods Interview below.

New Texas law changes how serious criminal cases are handled

Fox 7 News - Austin