A Dallas County state district judge charged with family violence assault has filed a motion challenging his girlfriend's claims that he choked her, leaned her over the edge of the balcony at his apartment and threatened to kill her.
In a motion filed Monday, Carlos Cortez said his girlfriend was trying to kill herself and he tried to pull her away from the balcony.
Ted Steinke, an attorney for Cortez' girlfriend, called Cortez' contention that he was saving her life "laughable," adding, "it's my experience that the police don't usually arrest heroes."
Cortez is asking a judge to throw out an emergency protective order granted by a judge after the Saturday incident.
Cortez is charged with assault family violence, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
