Chris Perri Speaks Out on Police Conviction Reversal in KVUE Investigation

Chris Perri recently appeared on KVUE in an interview with respected Austin crime reporter Tony Plohetski to discuss one of the most controversial criminal cases in Texas.

The case centers on Christopher Taylor, a former Austin police officer who was convicted by a Travis County jury in 2024 of deadly conduct. This charge came after Taylor fatally shot a man who was struggling with a mental health crisis and armed with a knife. After hearing all the evidence, the jury concluded the killing was not legally justified—a rare and significant outcome in a police use-of-force case.

However, the guilty verdict did not stand, only furthering the controversy. After Taylor appealed the trial’s outcome, the case was transferred out of Austin to Amarillo for appellate review, where the conviction was ultimately reversed. The transfer has raised serious ethical concerns. An appellate court in Austin is likely to have very different ideological perspectives than one sitting in Amarillo.

To learn his legal perspective on the case, KVUE reached out to Chris Perri. He used the opportunity to point out how unusual—and potentially unjust—the venue transfer was.

“What I see from that opinion is that these judges were trying to get Christopher Taylor off,” Perri said during his interview with Plohetski. “They didn’t like the facts of the case. You are just seeing a bias pour off the page, drip off the page.”

As a Texas criminal defense attorney who focuses much of his practice on helping clients seek post-conviction relief, Chris Perri knows firsthand how exceptional it is to have an appellate court grant relief. Many defendants pursuing post-conviction relief—whether through direct appeals or writs of habeas corpus—would welcome the opportunity for their case to be reviewed in a more favorable appellate venue.

In Chris Perri’s view, this highly publicized case outcome reveals how unevenly the law can be applied. Whether for his clients or community, Chris Perri will continue to dedicate himself to the fight for a fairer, more just criminal justice system.

Watch the full interview and read the KVUE investigation here.