A 56-year-old Boerne resident, Robert Martin Schmidt, may have caught a break of sorts last week as he was facing 25 years to life in prison after he tried to strangle a woman.
After Schmidt pleaded guilty, he received time served for the Class A misdemeanor assault charge. However, a local prosecutor said he now will appear before a parole board for his early release granted on a first-degree felony conviction.
Schmidt originally was charged with assault by strangulation of a romantic partner, which is typically a third-degree felony. However, court records show Schmidt had prior felony convictions, including two assault charges, meaning Kendall County Assistant District Attorney Nick Socias was seeking an enhanced charge of 25 years to life in prison. Schmidt was set to face trial last week, but he accepted a plea agreement after a jury had been selected.